This time of the year has many of us thinking about the things we are grateful for. And while it can often be difficult to feel thankful for a job that so often may cause stress and anxiety, it is important for our mental, physical, and emotional health. In fact, a simple mindset change can have an enormous impact when it comes to things like job satisfaction and our overall state of health. 

Of course, managers can – and should – play a big role here. It is important to go out of your way to demonstrate to your employees that you see and appreciate them. Letting them know that their work is meaningful and that you are grateful for it can have significant benefits for employees. In this article, we will go into some of the most important benefits of showing gratitude. 

Lower stress and anxiety levels with realistic expectations 

So often, being grateful goes hand-in-hand with being realistic. It is important that managers take time to really understand what is possible for employees to get done within the given parameters. By doing this, employees can better focus on doing their jobs well, instead of trying to do too much and having quality suffer as a result. 

This helps lower stress and anxiety levels, which can be devastating to productivity and turnover rates. When employees feel pressure to do too much, they stop enjoying their work and can experience negative health effects like heart conditions, poor sleep, or lowered metabolism and weight gain. 

Better communication and relationships  

When employees feel a sense of gratitude for their work, they feel included and respected by the company and their managers. This can have significant long-reaching results on the company culture and employee-manager relationships. This sense of support will be passed along and shared with their colleagues, greatly improving collaboration and workstreams. 

Mind stays active and engaged 

When individuals feel a sense of gratitude for their work, they continue to feel positively challenged and engaged. This means that they will be more invested in their projects, more productive, and produce better work overall. Employees will also be less likely to start looking for new opportunities, decreasing turnover rates. 

Make sure your employees know you care

A little bit of gratitude can go a long way. Not only can it mean a better on-the-job experience and health results for employees, but it can also mean improved work products and efficiencies for companies. For these reasons – and more – you cannot afford to not show your employees how much you can and appreciate their work. 

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