As we enter a period of renewal and change, Your Clear Next Step is committed to helping our customers make their businesses and workdays even better. We will be here to walk beside you, to listen, to connect, and to aid in your search for clarity. In doing so, we are offering a free, daily Zoom call, called Daily Connections, at 1:15pm (CDT) every weekday from 3/19/2020-5/1/2020.
These calls are a chance for us to share tips and discussion about relevant topics (working remotely, maintaining consistency in uncertain times, building relationships across geography, staying motivated, staying connected, etc) and network with each other to provide help and support during this time of change.
Thank you to everyone who was able to join us today! The next call will be Friday, May 8st at 1:15pm (CDT). Watch our social media for a link.
On today's call...
Sinikka talked about gratitude - why it's good for us, and how to practice it even when things are tough.
Gratitude. Why is it good for us? This has been studied and discussed for years. If we don’t verbalize or express our gratitude, it can bring you down. So, let me give you some examples of Good things that come out of expressing gratitude:
- Success – increase well-being, greater self-esteem, greater confidence, increased self-efficacy, increased performance
- Interpersonal interactions – reduces hostility and aggression, increased sensitivity and empathy
- Health and wellness – better sleep, fewer aches and pains,
- Longevity – greater friends, deeper relationships, and a longer lifespan
- In fact, studies show that individuals who express profound gratitude on a regular basis are some of the happiest folks around.
So how do you do it?
- Mindfulness – take a moment and intentionally think about it
- Visual cues - Keep your blessings (or pictures or words about them) in front of you
- Get your focus off yourself – focusing on others helps us find things about them we’re grateful for
- Look for the learning – finding what you learned can give you something to be grateful for
- Emotional self-awareness and self-management -catch yourself feeling something negative and actively turn your mind to something you’re grateful for
- Intentional counting – journal or write down things you’re grateful for, or pick 1, 2, 3, 27 things and express them
A few thoughts that were shared by the group:
- One participant’s father always says “Better than I deserve and grateful” when asked how they are.
- One participant is grateful for meeting another participant and being on Zooms with them. They were interviewed about a recent project to be put on a radio station.
- One participant answers “Happy, healthy, and full of hope” when asked how are you?
- One participant’s parent is known for saying “YCYOA: You choose your own attitude.”
- One participant is grateful for the rest. Their work is very busy and stressful, and they have been enjoying the downtime recently. They are focusing on new things they have been wanting to do and didn't have time before now. The down time has been refreshing and changed their perspective.
- One participant is grateful that their family is healthy. Everyone is safe and healthy and doing well.
- One participant is grateful for their own health and the fact that they can shelter at home. They are also grateful that Daily Connections happened and that they made new friends.
- One participant is grateful for their full-time job and the ability to still finish their schooling during the situation.
