Gratitude Can Reduce Worker Stress
Not receiving a “thank you” when holding a door open for a stranger at the store or when helping a friend with an errand can be disheartening and annoying. It can even foster resentment. But while failing to express gratitude can rub the do-gooder the wrong way, it can also mean missing out on some benefits for the would-be grateful person as well.
The Positive Impacts of Cortisol
“When a sudden stressful event or circumstances arise, the body responds naturally by releasing adrenaline and cortisol,” explains Najma Khorammi in an article for Psychology Today. “Cortisol is responsible for increases of glucose in the bloodstream to facilitate activity in the brain and repair of tissues. When stress persists and turns into chronic stress, cortisol and other hormones are active routinely.”
And Potential Negative Implications
Khorammi explains that such hormones contribute to a number of negative psychological and emotional impacts, such as:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Digestive problems
- Headaches
- Heart disease
- Sleep problems
- Weight gain
- Memory and concentration impairment
It’s probably no surprise to most readers to hear about the now-well-established negative health effects of stress.
But what may be surprising is how expressing gratitude can combat those impacts.
The Power of Gratitude
“If incorporated, gratitude has the potential to be a potent coping strategy. Gratitude helps lower cortisol levels in our bodies by about 23 percent, thereby preventing the health problems that stress can lead up to,” says Khorammi.
In the context of the corporate world, expressing gratitude or even simply internally feeling grateful can help reduce work-related stress. It could be gratitude for a top-notch administrative team who helps facilitate complex tasks, gratitude for sound advice from a manager or mentor, or gratitude for a colleague covering a shift for a much-needed day or week away from work.
This gratitude not only helps reduce stress for the one expressing it but also serves as a means of fostering greater engagement and feelings of appreciation on the part of the person receiving the gratitude—not to mention building strong interpersonal bonds.
Lin Grensing-Pophal is a Contributing Editor at HR Daily Advisor.
The post Gratitude Can Reduce Worker Stress appeared first on HR Daily Advisor.