Seasonal

Can Being Grateful Make You Healthier?

Tiffany Moore

VP, Client Partnerships

April 21, 2020

It has been said that being grateful can make you happier. According to an article published by Harvard Medical School, giving thanks, or being grateful, does, in fact, make you happier. The article claims the reason for this is being grateful helps a person connect to something greater than themselves, which, in turn, provides a sense of comfort that goodness can be found out in the world. Being grateful is often associated with being happier, but can being grateful make you healthier?

Consider this – people who are healthier, often get more sleep and being grateful can help you sleep longer. While you sleep, your blood pressure goes down, which helps to give your heart a rest after a long day. Having high blood pressure can lead to an increased risk of heart attack or stroke, so reducing your blood pressure daily has concrete health benefits. A recent study found that people who kept a gratitude journal slept for an average of a half an hour more each night and woke up feeling more refreshed than the group who didn’t keep a gratitude journal. Thirty minutes doesn’t sound like a lot, but 30 minutes a night for a month would result in an extra 15 hours of sleep a month!

Being grateful can also lead to fewer aches and pains. Grateful people also are more likely to exercise, which improves your life expectancy according to Psychology Today. The Mayo Clinic claims that having a daily practice of gratitude can boost your immune system, which is much needed during the winter cold and flu season.

How can you adopt an attitude of gratitude and become healthier at the same time? Here’s some simple ways to start:

Start a gratitude journal and write down your thoughts daily.
Put items you are thankful for in a jar.
Write a thank you note to someone.
Meditate on gratitude.
Check out these other options.

Seasonal

Attitude of Gratitude

November 7, 2018

November is upon us, which means Thanksgiving is right around the corner. A customary practice around the turkey table is to say what you are thankful for, but what happens if this was extended to a year-round practice? Practicing gratitude can make you a happier person this month and beyond.

Fifty-two percent of women and 44 percent of men express gratitude on a regular basis according to an infographic on The Muse. People who are grateful tend to be more satisfied and have more self-control – which could be key as holiday treats start to roll into the office this time of year.

Speaking of the office, according to a study done by Harvard Medical School, managers who remember to say “thanks” may find that employees feel motivated to work harder. It has also been shown that gratitude is more motivating than money. Gratitude is contagious, so practicing gratitude at work will help create a corporate culture of thanks.

Thanks can be given in a multitude of ways. You can stop by a coworker’s desk and say thanks for help on a project or send a friendly email. If you want to go old school, drop a handwritten note on someone’s desk.

To become more grateful yourself, keep a gratitude journal starting now. Write down three things every night that you were thankful for during the day. The key to this practice is two things: be specific and keep writing for more than 5 days. When journaling, do not just say “I’m thankful for my family or my job”, get down to the nitty-gritty and cite specific people or things that you appreciated that day.

If writing is not your thing, try a gratitude meditation. Never meditated before? Not to worry, take 10 minutes and try this guided gratitude meditation. It will lead you through every step of the way.

Need more ideas on how you can become more grateful at work or home? Here’s 10 ways to become more grateful. We are grateful for our clients and candidates not just this season but all year long!

Job Advice

The Art of the Thank You Note

Madison Schacht

Manager of Talent Acquisition

April 26, 2018

You don’t have to be an Emily Post etiquette expert to know it’s a great idea to send a thank you note after an interview. Whether your interview was face-to-face or via phone, sending a thank you note as soon as you can is a best practice.

Sending a note gives you another opportunity to emphasize what most excites you about the position, including details that you learned in the interview. It also shows initiative and can demonstrate that you are good with details and follow through (especially important if that’s key to the position).

So, what should it say? For starters, address the thank you note – or thank you email – to the name of the person who interviewed you. If you were interviewed by more than one person then send a note to each person. Emailing the note is acceptable, especially since jobs in this tight labor market are moving quickly.

Next, express your gratitude for the interviewer taking their time to get to know you. Then, include some details of your conversation, which shows you were being attentive and gives you a chance to showcase some of your strong skills that would be a benefit in the position.

Finally, close out the note with a final word of thanks and sign your name. If it’s an email, consider adding your phone number under your name for quick reference.

It is best to send the note as soon as possible, in the same day as your interview occurs if possible. That way the interviewer knows that you are interested in the position and hopefully it will help them come to a decision sooner.

A thank you note is the perfect way to communicate to the hiring manager that you are a solid applicant and that you are enthusiastic about the potential opportunity.

Sample thank you note:

Dear Jan,

Thank you so much for taking the time to discuss your opening for a customer service representative today. I am very interested in this opportunity.

I really enjoyed what you shared about your company culture and I can see myself contributing to the team. My database experience would be a real asset in this position.

Thank you again for your time, please let me know if there is any additional information I can provide to help in your decision.

Warmest Regards,

Madison