There’s no question we’ve all been through a lot in the past few years. There have been stressful situations in which our lives have been changed and reshaped in ways we never imagined possible.
The dust is starting to settle for the most part. We’ve adapted and settled into a daily life that might not be the same as it was before, but it’s manageable.
Now is a great time to consider gratitude, both in our personal lives and at work. After all, one of the initial shocks of the pandemic was the switch to working remotely, or people losing their jobs, at least temporarily, and having to adapt to an uncertain world.
Here’s how taking a moment to express gratitude can be helpful and powerful in your life and even at work.
Every day brings a new learning experience.
Whether you’ve been in your job for six weeks, six months, or six years, there’s something new to be learned every day. You can learn a new skill, develop new habits, find a new way to get to work, maybe even take a walk along a new path during a break. There’s always something to learn, and that’s a wonderful thing! If you’re looking to continue learning while at work, talk to your manager about what opportunities are available for you, either directly on the job or through training courses that your employer can make available.
You’re meeting and getting to know great people.
The people we work with are the ones with whom we spend the most time. A full-time position is defined as spending 40 hours per week at work; sometimes, we spend more than that together in order to finish a big project. If you allow yourself to have real, open communication and conversation with the people you work with, you might find great new friends, people with which you have a lot in common. Some people form life-long friendships with their coworkers; some people meet and befriend others from very different backgrounds and perspectives than their own, which allows them to understand the world in a different way.
It’s good to have work to do.
Let’s be honest: Sometimes, even if we have the best job, we might not love it. There are hard days. There are days when you’re not feeling the same level of enthusiasm when you arrive at the start of your morning. Some days work can be hard. But it’s good to have a place to go or projects to work on, and reasons and opportunities to keep your mind busy. If nothing else, it helps pass the time while providing a paycheck. Having something to do means there’s a purpose and a reason to get up in the morning. That can be a very powerful thing! Some people find it helpful and rewarding to have a daily routine, and going to work, even if you work remotely, can be a big part of that.
It’s the little things.
For some people, work is where the coffee is. For others, it’s a chance to socialize and carry on conversations. People can check in on you, even just to say hi, whenever they’d like and whenever you need it. Finishing a big project provides a sense of accomplishment. It’s nice for people to see you and be able to say hello, and it’s good to be able to see others and say hello. We are social creatures and, for a while, our ability to see others and be together was interrupted. We crave that human interaction, and work provides that.
If you need a little help getting into the habit of practicing gratitude, that’s ok. You can start with small steps:
- Start a gratitude journal, writing down little things that you appreciate or that made you happy during the day.
- Thank people for what they do for you. Speaking appreciation out loud can help you feel it more deeply.
- Take a walk and a few minutes to think about what you have instead of what you don’t have, and really feel your appreciation.
- Give compliments to your coworkers and see how happy it makes them. Bank that good feeling and remember that you can access it anytime you’d like by doing it again!
Looking to make a fresh start? Sterling Personnel has great jobs available just waiting for you.
If you’re looking for more advice, or if you’re finding it really difficult to be grateful in your current job, contact Sterling Personnel. We have friendly experts standing by, ready to help you reevaluate your career and where you’d like to be, and they can help walk you through the jobs we have available. Let’s be thankful for new opportunities!
