Gratitude is one of those things that sounds cliché, but how often are you actually aware of how much you end up criticizing others or thinking negative thoughts within your business? Being mindful of this can make a profound impact on the way you approach people and situations on a day-to-day basis, which directly influences the growth of your company. How would an attitude of gratitude affect you personally as a leader? How would that affect your team? Here are 3 ways that practicing gratitude can improve the direction and culture of your business:

Gratitude improves your mental health.

The intentional act of thinking positive thoughts will decrease stress, enhance your mood, and allow you to approach each day with a proactivemindset. Gratitude actually reshapes your neural pathways!It encourages self-reflection and opens our hearts up to be more trusting and appreciative of circumstances and other people. Practice Tip: Keep a gratitude journal by your bedside and write down 3 things that you are grateful for each morning. It could be an experience, an act of kindness, or a win. On occasion, you can pick up your journal and read past entries as a reminder of all great things you have to be thankful for.

Gratitude increases productivity and provides solutions.

Instead of complaining and dwelling on the issue at hand, gratitude serves as a channel that takes you out of the problem and moves you towards a best-case scenario. Choosing to be grateful removes inner limitations, andprovides a way to be more efficient, effective and creative in achieving your day-to-day goals. How can you appreciate the process more to find a solution versus only focusing on the obstacle? Practice Tip: Make a mental note to be mindful of what you think and say in your workplace, towards others and as well as in situations. Catch yourself when you say or think a negative thought, complaint or annoyance. Replace that thought with a positive and grateful affirmation. Approach problems with an attitude of joy in finding a solution!

Gratitude creates a ripple effect.

Treating others with extra kindness, smiles, and appreciation is not just a one-way street. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how fast that attitude spreads amongst your team when you lead by example! Encouraging your employees to celebrate each other’s wins and maintaining a positive demeanor will keep workplace morale high, motivate people to collaborate, and ultimately improve their performance. As a leader, focusing on your team’s strengths and noticing their contributions on a regular basis will also give them a greater sense of fulfillment in their positions. Practice Tip: Go out of your way to spread gratitude to your colleagues, employees, suppliers, and clients. Verbalize your appreciation, compliment them with a simple note, or surprise them with a small gift of goodies. Better yet, praise an individual in front of your entire team! At The Gift Designers, we value acts of appreciation and work hard to help businesses spread gratitude to their team, clients, and referrals. We do this through creating memorable moments and giving our guests the ultimate gift experience that make business owners look like rock stars! If you would like to find out more about our corporate gifting solutions, feel free to contact us at 403-201-5021 or visit our corporate gift page HERE. We’d be happy to help! “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” - William Arthur Ward - The Gift Designers Team