A kind remark from your colleague. Dazzling fall colors everywhere you look outside. Starting your day with a caffeine boost.
When you start looking for them, you can find good things in your life almost anywhere. The approach of Thanksgiving is often a catalyst for grateful reflections. And while there’s never a bad time to express gratitude, we’re doing ourselves a disservice when we limit our gratitude to a single month.
A thankful spirit is nearly always accompanied by a positive mindset, which, in turn, can help transform your work habits. Learn more about the connection between gratitude and positivity, as well as how you can cultivate a more positive mindset at work.
Can a positive mindset really impact your productivity?
The science says yes.
In a 2010 study, employees who could be described as “other-oriented employees,” (individuals who were concerned about the well-being of their colleagues) experienced higher levels of gratitude. These employees were found to be some of the highest performers at the call center they worked at.
Another study from Oxford University found that when workers are happy (an emotion typically associated with a positive mindset and grateful spirit), they are 13% more productive.
The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania shares that positivity—a combination of gratitude, appreciation for others, and a belief in yourself—leads to 31% higher productivity, 37% more sales, and 3 times more creativity.
Keep in mind that productivity doesn’t happen in a bubble. It’s the culmination of several factors, including your work environment, team dynamics, stress levels, physical and mental well-being, and general time management skills. A positive mindset impacts nearly all of these factors, ultimately shaping how productive you are in your work.
The science behind gratitude and positivity
Let’s be honest, it can sound a little hokey to say being thankful can help you work more efficiently.
The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley has completed extensive research on the science of gratitude. In this 72-page white paper, they summarized hundreds of studies to identify key findings on gratitude. They found that:
- People who naturally have a grateful disposition experience better health.
- Learning how to be grateful can also improve your physical health.
- A grateful disposition can help protect people from experiencing burnout.
- Gratitude helps form and reinforce social bonds.
But why?
We’ve got proof that gratitude is good for you—now let’s look at why experts think gratitude can have a positive impact on so many aspects of your life.
Here are some of their theories.
- Regularly practicing gratitude prevents you from becoming used to the good in your life and taking it for granted. You don’t become immune to the positive part of your life but appreciate them anew each day. Furthermore, instead of constantly looking to what’s next, you are likely to appreciate what you have and see the positive that’s already present.
- Gratitude is often accompanied by other positive emotions. This positivity can make people feel safe in taking risks and navigating challenges that come with those risks.
- People who practice gratitude often believe they have benefitted from someone else’s generosity. As a result, they feel valued as a person and experience higher self-esteem.
7 ways to create a positive mindset at work
Gratitude and positivity are good for your work. You know it, but how do you put that truth into practice? Here are some ways to develop that mindset and train your brain to notice the good.
1. Practice gratitude regularly
A lot of the research on gratitude describes the trait as acquired in one of two ways: it’s something you’re born with or it’s something you develop.
If you would consider yourself more of a pessimist or notice that you often have a more cynical take on situations, we’ve got some good news for you. In most cases, people who implement gratitude interventions see the same kind of results as people who are born with a grateful disposition.
Gratitude is a muscle you can strengthen, and it begins by practicing gratitude regularly.
Before you begin your workday, take a minute to reflect on something you’re grateful for. There’s no one right way to do this. You could—
- jot down something you’re thankful for in a gratitude journal
- create a gratitude jar where you collect notes about the good in your life
- send a positive email to a colleague or client you are thankful to be working with
- take a photo of something beautiful in your life and add it to a growing photo album on your phone
- keep a post-it note at your desk as a reminder to name one thing you’re thankful for each day
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” – William Arthur Ward.
2. Be specific
Practicing gratitude with specificity can intensify your feelings and help you hone in on the small things that bring joy to your life. When you learn how to be thankful for little details, you’ll start to find goodness everywhere you look.
In naming what you’re thankful for, get into the details about what makes it so great. It might look like this:
“I’m thankful for my job.”
“I’m thankful my job offers flexible hours so I can attend my child’s school events.”
“I’m glad I work on a good team.”
“I’m grateful my teammate Megan offered to help me finish this report when I was behind.”
“I work for a great manager.”
“I appreciate how my manager always gives me thoughtful feedback and encourages me to share my ideas.”
“Gratitude is one of the strongest and most transformative states of being. It shifts your perspective from lack to abundance and allows you to focus on the good in your life, which in turn pulls more goodness into your reality.” — Jen Sincero
3. Set achievable goals and celebrate small wins
Work comes with its fair share of challenges and setbacks. Instead of focusing on what’s going wrong or how far you still have to go, make it a habit to recognize small achievements along the way.
Implement this habit by creating a running ‘wins list’ where you jot down everything worth celebrating throughout the week. It can be anything that brings a smile to your face or offers even the tiniest sense of relief, like—
- decluttering your desktop screen
- making it to a meeting early with your coffee in hand
- meeting a personal productivity target
- making a new connection on LinkedIn
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” —Robert Collier
4. Reframe challenges as opportunities
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
“When one door closes, another one opens.”
“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”
There’s no shortage of annoyingly introspective proverbs about making the best out of an undesirable situation. It’s proof that bad things happen to all of us, no matter our status or net worth.
You can lament about every small setback, or you can practice gratitude at work by learning to approach challenges with a growth mindset. To get into this headspace, start by looking at the good that came from previous challenges. Did you learn a new skill or strengthen your relationships with a colleague? What was the proverbial silver lining of an otherwise dark cloud?
With enough time and practice, you can learn how to apply the same mindset to current obstacles you’re facing. When you’re scheduled for a meeting with that client, you celebrate the opportunity to spend an hour with your work bestie. When you’re tasked with a high workload due to someone else’s laziness, you’re thankful for an understanding. And when restructuring means you’re let go without warning, you become grateful for the opportunity to move to a less toxic work environment that offers a better work-life balance.
“The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for.” — Norman Vincent Peale
5. Focus on what you can control
Yes, we’re back to talking about the circle of control.
By directing your energy toward productive, manageable actions rather than stress-inducing uncertainties, you’re automatically going to feel better. You’ll experience less stress, more confidence, and improved productivity because you are focused on situations you can change.
You can’t control the coworker who arrives late to every client meeting, but you can control your time management and submit each portion of the project a day in advance.
You can’t control the company’s new policy that limits WFH days, but you can create an office that feels like a cozy space to spend your work hours.
Focusing on your areas of direct control empowers you to take action. It increases your resilience when you’re faced with a challenge because instead of throwing your hands in the air and exclaiming, ‘What am I supposed to do?!’ you jump into problem-solving mode. Finally, when you see results from the action you’ve taken, you remind yourself that you are completely capable and that what you do matters.
“He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” Epictetus
6. Build strong relationships with your colleagues
For the average person, around one-third of our waking hours are spent at work. Having someone you look forward to seeing in the office can infuse joy into those working hours, making work feel more fulfilling and meaningful so you’re able to experience more gratitude at work.
Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey are an extreme example of this principle come to life. The two met as co-stars on the TV show The Office, and have maintained a close friendship that lasted far beyond the last season, made apparent in a podcast the two host together and the news of Fischer’s recent cancer diagnosis.
If you’re a freelancer, you may not have the same opportunities to make a work bestie, but don’t let that turn into complete isolation. Get to know your clients on a personal level, and schedule time to meet up with local freelancers or WFH friends at a local coffee shop.
“We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.” ― John F. Kennedy
7. Prioritize your self-care
We’ve all had one of those days. You can’t find the document you need to sign and turn in to accounts receivable. Nothing is getting done because people keep interrupting you. It feels like you’ve been waiting eons for a reply to an important email. It truly feels like the world is out to get you.
And then, it hits you. It’s 3:30 pm and all you’ve eaten today is a granola bar and cup of coffee.
Life isn’t actually as bad as it seems—your low blood sugar and depleted energy levels just made it feel that way.
Self-care has gotten a bad rap in our culture. A lot of people view self-care as a long list of self-indulgent habits—daily bubble baths, Netflix binges, shopping sprees to list your mood…
The reality is that self-care is what the name suggests. It involves taking care of your mental and physical well-being so that you feel equipped to manage stress and complete your work without feeling like you’re constantly treading water.
To keep a positive mindset, try self-care practices like:
- getting enough sleep each night
- moving your body on a regular basis, whether it’s a quick walk or a hot yoga class
- setting boundaries at work, such as limiting your social time or saying no to extra projects
- building and nurturing a strong social network within your workplace
“If your compassion does not include yourself, it is incomplete.” —Jack Kornfield
Start now, stay strong
Your mindset and productivity levels are undeniably interconnected. November is the perfect time to implement more gratitude practices, but the Thanksgiving season is just the beginning. A more positive mindset will benefit you every day of the year. Keep the habits going and watch your productivity levels soar.
Tell us in the comments—what specific things are you thankful for?
