Expressing gratitude to a colleague will improve both their and your lives. According to a study, getting appreciated more frequently at work predicts better sleep, fewer headaches, and healthier eating because it increases nurses’ job satisfaction.
The Study “Gratitude Reception and physical health: Examining the mediating role of satisfaction with patient care in a sample of acute care nurses,” finds a link between expressed workplace gratitude, physical health, and mental health. The study was led by Portland State University researchers (business professor David Cadiz, psychology professor Cynthia Mohr, and Alicia Starkey, a recent Ph.D. graduate in psychology) and Clemson State University professor Robert Sinclair.
Improving Self-Care in a Stressful Work Environment
The study included a sample of Oregon nurses, a profession with a high risk of burnout. Cadiz highlights the findings and how implementing the research can improve quality of life and job retention by minimizing stress-related illnesses and disorders.
“Nurses tend to have a thankless job. It’s very physical, and they’re often being screamed at by patients who are at their lowest. When nurses receive gratitude, it boosts them,” Cadiz explains. “This type of study helps us understand how to keep nurses in the workforce in a healthy way. Nurses strongly align their profession with their identity and often look out for patients more than themselves.
The gratitude matches up with their identity, gives them satisfaction in a job well done, and ultimately increases self-care.” Many people have an innate connection between their identity and sentiments of appreciation inside their roles. Employers who recognize and respond to this can affect positive social and economic change.
Gratitude is Good Business
Cadiz believes that businesses should provide official or informal chances for employees to express thanks from the perspectives of organization, policy, and leadership. Incorporating thankfulness into a company plan is a critical step that many business leaders overlook, and this oversight can have financial ramifications.
“Employees that receive positive feedback are healthier, and that can impact the bottom line,” adds Cadiz. “Preventing headaches and other stress-related symptoms means fewer sick days, and, in this case, cuts down the cost of replacement nurses and overtime pay.” These minor adjustments can have a significant cost impact over time, resulting in more personnel, higher pay rates, and more benefits. The main point is to express gratitude when you notice someone performing a good job. A positive feedback loop affects both you and people around you, and it has the potential to form a healthier and happier community.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Portland State University. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
Alicia R. Starkey, Cynthia D. Mohr, David M. Cadiz, Robert R. Sinclair. Gratitude reception and physical health: Examining the mediating role of satisfaction with patient care in a sample of acute care nurses. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2019; 1 DOI: 10.1080/17439760.2019.1579353
Page citation:
Portland State University. “The power of gratitude in the workplace.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 March 2019. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/03/190313091929.htm>.
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