While I’m as big a fan of Thanksgiving as the next person, I do think the holiday can make the act of expressing thanks or gratitude feel a little like a perfunctory annual event. To the contrary, I’d argue that saying thanks should be more like a daily routine and not just once a day but multiple times a day.
It’s as true for leaders as it is for colleagues, spouses, partners, parents, and friends. Basically, if you’re a human (and if you’re reading this, you almost certainly are unless you’re Chat GPT or some other bot), you benefit not just from hearing thanks but from giving it.
I’m guessing your experience backs that up, but so does the research. Here are examples of how gratitude impacts your work, your body, and your lifespan:
Your Work
Consider the work of Adam Grant at Wharton. In a famous study his team conducted with fundraising callers, one group received a simple visit from a director who said, “I am very grateful for your hard work.” That was the only variable that changed. The result? That group made 50% more calls the following week compared to the control group.
This tracks with data from Glassdoor, which found that 80% of employees would work harder for an appreciative boss. If you want your team to move from compliance to commitment, gratitude is the key to unlocking that discretionary effort.
Your Body
It turns out that expressing gratitude is a fantastic way to get yourself out of a state of chronic fight or flight. Researchers Robert Emmons and Michael McCullough have found that gratitude practices act as a stress reset button. People in their study who practiced gratitude had lower levels of stress hormones like cortisol and, as a result, reported better sleep, less fatigue, and showed lower levels of cellular inflammation. Shifting from fight or flight to rest and digest reduces cognitive noise and enables you to think more clearly.
Your Lifespan
If higher team performance, feeling better and thinking more clearly haven’t quite gotten you there on the value of expressing gratitude throughout the day, how about living longer?
A massive study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, analyzing data from nearly 50,000 nurses, found that those with the highest levels of gratitude had a 9% lower risk of death from any cause over a three-year period. It turns out that an attitude of gratitude protects the heart, both figuratively and literally.
Put It to Work
Knowing the science is one thing; building a habit and putting it to work is another. If you’re not in the habit of regularly expressing gratitude, here are three simple practices to help you shift from “have to” to “want to.”
- The “Three Good Things” Routine: This is a classic for a reason. Before you go to sleep or first thing in the morning, write down three things that went well in the last 24 hours. But here is the critical addition: briefly write why they went well. This trains your brain to scan the environment for positives rather than just fixating on the fires you have to put out.
- The Specific Thank You: In the Wharton study, the “thank you” worked because it was sincere. General praise (“Good job everyone”) often falls flat. Instead, once a day, send one email or stop by one desk to thank a team member in a clearly specific way. “I really appreciated how you handled that client objection in the meeting today – it showed great composure on your part and helped keep the meeting on track.” That’s the kind of specific thank you at work (or at home for that matter) that makes a longer-term impact.
- The “Get To” Reframe: This is a mental shift I use personally when my calendar makes me feel overwhelmed. When you catch yourself saying, “I have to go to this event,” pause and change one word: “I get to go to this event.” It sounds small, but it shifts your internal narrative from obligation to opportunity. It reminds you that you have agency.
Your Next Step
Pick just one of the three practices above, the “Three Good Things,” the “Specific Thank You,” or the “Get To” Reframe, and commit to doing it for the next 48 hours. Notice what changes about the way you feel and how others respond. And what better time to get started than (in the United States at least), Thanksgiving week?
What about you, what’s been working for you in expressing gratitude? What difference has it been making? What’s your gratitude strategy for this week? Share your insights and plans in a comment on LinkedIn.
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