Giving thanks builds relationships

Life is hectic. We’re all busy. It’s difficult to complete daily tasks and when we routinely forward them to the next day’s ‘to do’ list, it can be discouraging.

I recently read an article on the power of saying ‘thank you.’ It was interesting to note that people who express gratitude are scientifically proven to be happier, healthier people.

How many times has a business colleague done something nice for you and you meant to say thank you but just didn’t get around to it?

Perhaps it’s time, as a new year is almost upon us, to determine we’ll approach work with an attitude of gratitude.

The article is based on the book, Thanks! How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier, by psychology professor Robert Emmons at the University of California, Davis.

Emmons says that people who give thanks experience positive emotions like joy, contentment and hope, which has a direct correlation to physical benefits through the immune or endocrine systems. “We have found that when people express gratitude, they feel more loving, more forgiving, and closer to God,” Emmons said.

Since my work is public relations and marketing, with a slant on utilization of social media, I’m almost always on the computer or online. I’m pretty good at sending thank you emails, but as Emmons points out, there are even more benefits to sending a handwritten thank you note.

So, my challenge to all of us for the New Year is to be more grateful and to express that gratitude in person and in writing. I’m going to supplement my electronic thank-yous with handwritten, personal notes of gratitude.

As Buddha has said, “A noble person is mindful and thankful of the favors he receives from others.”

A good old-fashioned thank you note may go a long way to a more prosperous life.