A little trick to make you 1% happier at work today
Many people think the only way to be happier at work is to get a higher salary or to make major changes to their work environment. Yet, there are many tiny changes that you can make that, together, can significantly improve your mood and overall wellbeing at work.
My self experiment
Three years ago, I ran an experiment on myself.
I’d read that if I thanked someone every day, it would make me happier - so I tried it.
The first thing I did was to note down how often I said thank you each day.
Apart from thanking people in shops or my wife when she’d me a cup of coffee, I was shocked to realise that I didn’t thank anyone else. Most surprising was at work, where I’d go days without thanking anyone. As in, no-one. And when I observed everyone else, most people were the same.
So, I made a conscious effort to change my behaviour.
Saying thank you can be difficult
At first, I found it really difficult. I forgot to do it, and when I was given an opportunity, I felt uncomfortable. At the same time, I noticed that when people asked me for feedback, I almost always focused on the negative.
I was so bad at thanking people that, in the end, I had to resort to setting a recurring task in my to-do list. A daily task that simply said: “Thank someone”.
As I’m a very task-oriented person who can’t stand leaving items unticked on my list, this gave me the push I needed. The result was that every day, I consciously looked for opportunities to be grateful. It was tough. I felt very uncomfortable. I don’t know why, but as a leader, I felt that showing gratitude was a sign of weakness. It took months to overcome my inbuilt biases and begin regularly thanking people without needing a “reminder”.
The result, though … it felt good. Really good.
It’s not surprising that if you look at any guide on how to be happier, showing gratitude always appears in the top five things you can do.
Once I’d overcome my initial barriers to saying thanks, I started looking at how I could optimise my gratitude - how to give the most powerful feedback.
I discovered that a simple thank you is a good start, but if you explain why you're saying thanks, give some specific context and perhaps even compliment the other person, that is when the magic happens - for both for you and the recipient.
Don’t just say, “Your presentation was awesome - good work.” Instead, say, “I loved your presentation, especially the way you explained x with the graphs. It was so clear - I hadn’t understood that concept before, but now I do. Good work.”
The benefits of saying thank you
The best thing about showing meaningful gratitude at work is that you’re not the only one who benefits. The recipient will benefit as much as you. They will feel recognised for their efforts, and that recognition will give them a sense of purpose, fulfilling their human needs for dignity and meaning.
Feeling a sense of purpose is one of the five essentials you need to feel happy at work.
Tip of the week
Say thank you to someone. Recognise the work they’ve done and congratulate them if it’s really good. Try it every day. I guarantee that by the end of the week, both you and they will feel a little happier.
Power tip
If you’re a team leader, think about how you can encourage your team to say thanks to their colleagues. Set aside time in your retrospective meetings, create a Slack or Teams channel for colleagues to thank each other, or simply ask people each week to share someone they are grateful for and pass it on. Make it a habit in your team, and you’ll quickly see the benefits.
Some useful articles
Why Feeling Gratitude Can Be So Hard for People
White paper on why recognition is important for business - Gallup and Workhuman
How to give recognition from 1001 ways to reward employees.
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I regularly write on how you can use the science of happiness and the science of wellbeing to improve team performance. Sign up now to receive the latest blog posts in your inbox.
