Is gratitude a vital missing link in your workplace culture? Two of three US employees surveyed don’t feel adequately appreciated for their work. Worse, 59% of US adults have never had a manager who “truly appreciates” their work, according to a poll of 2,000 US employees.
Yet gratitude can make a profound impact on both individuals and organizations, research suggests. In fact, gratitude can play a powerful role in improving employee well-being, satisfaction, engagement, and productivity, as well as in an organization’s ability to retain talent.
What is gratitude and how does it affect us?
In its simplest form, gratitude is the act of feeling grateful for what you have in your life—circumstances, experiences, people, material objects, good health, or anything else, tangible or intangible, that you find meaningful or valuable. Being grateful doesn’t mean ignoring challenges, struggles, or burdens in life. It’s about acknowledging and appreciating the good while holding space for everything else.
And studies show that practicing gratitude has a big impact on our brains, bodies, and well-being. When we appreciate the good in our lives, we experience more positive emotions, improve our physical health, get better sleep, build stronger relationships, handle adversity better, and improve our overall quality of life.
In fact, when we express gratitude regularly, the brain’s production and release of dopamine and serotonin—known as “feel-good” chemicals—may lead to long-term improvements in our mood and emotional state. And by encouraging the restructuring of cognitive processes, regular gratitude practice may even help train our brains to be more attuned to positivity.
4 ways gratitude may help employees
What’s more, implementing a gratitude practice can reshape our brains in ways that help us as employees. For example, expressing gratitude may support the following positive outcomes:
1. Better cognitive functioning
Studies using fMRI scans (scans of the brain that show how it functions) have demonstrated that gratitude may activate several critical areas of the brain, including the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for decision-making, emotional regulation, and empathy. This activation may bring immediate feelings of contentment and contribute to the long-term improvement of cognitive functions associated with these areas of the brain.
2. Mental clarity and focus
Focusing on positives may reduce mental clutter, leading to clearer thinking and improved concentration. Plus, when we’re grateful, we may be less likely to make impulsive decisions, which can lead to better long-term planning and more thoughtful decision-making.
3. Improved self-esteem and less comparison to others
Regularly practicing gratitude may lead to improved self-worth. As we become more appreciative of our own lives and achievements, the need to compare ourselves to others may lessen. This is important in our social media–driven world and in particular in workplaces, where teamwork and collaboration are critical. In that same vein, gratitude can lead to prosocial behavior that promotes productive relationships and connections.
4. Regulation of stress hormones
Expressing gratitude may also play a critical role in managing the body’s stress response. When we focus on positive emotions associated with gratitude, our brain may reduce the production of stress hormones such as cortisol. This may help to calm the nervous system, which could reduce feelings of anxiety or promote a sense of well-being.
How fostering workplace gratitude helps organizations
Beyond helping employees in these ways, gratitude can play a larger role in driving organizational health. Indeed, when employees feel appreciated—when they’re the focus of someone else’s gratitude in the workplace—productivity and talent retention improve, studies show.
For example, one study showed that managers expressing gratitude for their employees motivated the latter to work more productively. In the experiment, employees who received expressions of appreciation made 50% more fund-raising calls than their counterparts who didn’t receive them. Another study concluded that organizations wanting to increase employee job satisfaction should adopt organizationally based gratitude interventions and institutionalize gratitude into their workplace culture.
Indeed, according to a study by Gallup and Workhuman® of more than 3,400 employees from 2022 to 2024, employees who received high-quality recognition were 45% less likely to have left their jobs by 2024. What’s more, showing gratitude for employees can stimulate employee commitment, motivation, and extra-role behaviors; foster a sense of unity; and support the morale of employees when their work is demanding.
7 recommendations for cultivating workplace gratitude
The good news is that organizations can instill a sense of gratitude into the workplace. Studies show that gratitude isn’t something that’s hardwired in us; instead, it’s shapeable. So, what steps can you take to help establish a workplace culture of gratitude?
Recommendations for leaders and managers
- Adopt a personal gratitude practice to realize its benefits firsthand, model behavior for others, and set the tone for your team and the broader organization.
- Set clear expectations about work and work behavior so that employees know what to strive for and so you can show gratitude when they meet or exceed expectations. Make sure to recognize both work results and work behavior.
- Consider incorporating the concept of gratitude into your company values or commitments regarding behavior, and communicate regularly about the importance of practicing gratitude.
- Show gratitude often, in a timely fashion, and authentically. A message or act of gratitude is more meaningful when it comes from the heart and it’s on time. Make sure to align your expression of appreciation with the cultural preferences of the recipient.
- Create opportunities for employees to express appreciation or gratitude. Consider reserving time in meetings for employees to share what or whom they’re grateful for, or encourage them to use communication channels to share messages of gratitude. Peer-to-peer recognition programs are another way to facilitate expressions of gratitude.
- Implement a mindfulness app for your team and encourage your team members to use it regularly. Mindfulness helps you become more aware and present in the moment, which can help cultivate gratitude. Both Calm and Calm Health feature a wide range of meditation, sleep, and wisdom programs on gratitude from Tamara Levitt, Jay Shetty, Chibs Okereke, and other mindfulness experts. Examples include the 7 Days of Gratitude series, Broaden Your Gratitude, Gratitude for the Day, A Grateful Life, and Gratitude Body Scan for Sleep.
- Encourage employees to start a gratitude journal to document positive things in their lives at work and beyond. Some managers give their teams gratitude journals to help them get started.
Make gratitude an important part of your workplace culture
Practicing gratitude isn’t just about feeling happier in the moment—it’s about creating lasting positive change. It may uplift our spirit, reduce feelings of stress, enhance our relationships, and even improve our physical health. It helps us focus more on the good in our lives and deal better with challenges along the way. As mental well-being continues to worsen in the workplace, gratitude could be a vital missing link. Consider elevating gratitude throughout your organization to help employees and their families feel better and, over time, begin to thrive again.
For more information on proactively supporting employee mental health and well-being, check out our pricing or connect with a Calm specialist today.
