Gratitude is a challenge for most people nowadays. It has become difficult to be thankful for the present moment, do you know why it is so difficult to be thankful these days?
1. We are used to negativity
Whether you think of yourself as a positive person or not, the general tendency is negativity, we are surrounded by it, we are bombarded by negative experiences on TV and they are kind of addictive. Even the vocabulary to describe negative experiences is richer than the words available to describe pleasant experiences. It is normal to describe a bad day at work as a disaster, humiliating, terrible, tiring, miserable, etc, while a good day is only good, or great at most. And when your brain is programmed to focus on the bad things at work, it’ll be difficult to concentrate on being thankful.
2. Comparisons
You’ve probably heard “comparison is the enemy of happiness”. And it’s right, social comparison – where we perceive our status by comparing ourselves with other people – is another psychological phenomenon.
It has become extremely difficult to keep track of this real life “Black Mirror” where the usage of social media just keeps rising. The easy access to other people’s highlights doesn’t really makes us feel any good. This comparison influences not only our mood but our feeling of thankfulness. After all, you can actually be satisfied with your accomplishments so far, but to see that your college friend has been promoted CEO of the company he’s been working or manage to land a life contract, well, your negative internal dialogue will soon kick in.
3. Objectives and deadlines
There’s a reason there are so many tips on how to be more productive: to live in the present is really hard, because we have been conditioned to Always keep an eye on what’s coming next. You have probably heard these questions before: “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?”, “what are your professional long-term goals?” or even “What’s your new year’s resolution?”. This is our modern world. We live in a toxic productivity Society where a hectic culture promotes working for something bigger than what we have here and now.
So, how can we practice gratitude at work to feel more connected to the present, without comparisons or rampant goals?
Think that you are learning at every new experience you go through, every obstacle is an opportunity to learn your skills, your ability to solve problems and this makes it worth to be thankful for what’s happening in your career right now. Every position offers knowledge you can add to your resume and apply at your next job. Even the boring or not so useful tasks are teaching you something: what you don’t like, how to prioritize, how to work with difficult people or how to develop resilience. And you are making valuable connections, so you can be grateful for your co-workers, boss, suppliers, clients, etc. These are all people that are adding value to your life and your resume, one way or another. These could be the people that one day will be giving references of your work, can provide you with professional counseling, introduce you to your new boss, and so on, every relationship is important and deserves recognition. And one more thing, your current position is worth being thankful for because it is real, it is happening, doesn’t matter the predictions you make, the future is uncertain and hard waiting for so be thankful for where you are now, because you worked hard to get here.
How to be thankful in a real and consistent way
Being thankful is not the standard attitude, you know this by now. However, to start using your sense of gratitude is related to innumerous benefits that include stress relief, greater resilience, and an improvement in your self-esteem.
But how can we make that happen? How to put it in practice?
Have a thankful journal
Before discarding the idea, bear with us. It is a very simple thing of writing down 5 things you are thankful for every day. At the end of your work day, before you turn off the computer, take some minutes to create a short list of things you were grateful for during the day?
- The coffee available - a positive feedback from your supervisor - to have concluded your pending tasks - you’ve read all the emails in your inbox - the playlist you have that helps you be more productive
The goal? These items don’t need to be big, life-changing moments in your life. The little things also count. It is the daily exercise of being thankful, and wiring things down that will not only help you live in the present but also improve your mood.
Take time to be thankful
Have that specific time, by yourself, take a walk, walk the dog, ride your bicycle, you can even go for a run, and ass some workout to being thankful, after all physical activity on its own is already healthy. Taking this time for yourself where you practicing being thankful, thinking about the positive things in your life and work will improve your health and quality of life.
And, while you practice this new skill of being thankful for what’s happening in your life right now bear in mind that gratitude has a greater reach when it’s shared. Is there something in your list that you can share with someone? If your answer was yes, then share it, show your gratitude to your co-workers for the advice they’ve given you or your boss for the compliment he gave you and those positive energies will spread, because they are contagious.
Enjoy the moment!
No doubt that being thankful for the present moment isn’t easy, but it is important that every step of your professional journey is! – yes, even the setbacks and disappointments. We need to learn how to live in the moment, how to enjoy what is right in front of us, and everything we have already achieved and be content with it.
Although it is good to have some professional ambition you do not want to get obsessed with where you want to be to the point of forgetting to congratulate yourself for what you already have.
We have all worked very hard to reach as far as possible in our careers, but it’s important to dedicate some time to being thankful at work.
Comments