Academic Medicine Open Forum

As we prepare for the holiday season, now is a good time to think about ways to practice gratitude. We have all heard of the benefits of practicing gratitude:

For the individual:

• increased happiness and positive mood
• more satisfaction with life
• less materialistic
• less likely to experience burnout
• better physical health
• better sleep
• less fatigue
• lower levels of cellular inflammation
• greater resiliency
• encourages the development of patience, humility, and wisdom

For groups:

• increases prosocial behaviors
• strengthens relationships
• may help employees' effectiveness
• may increase job satisfaction

Focusing on events at work about which one is grateful reduces stress and depression (Cheng, Tsui, & Lam, 2015). In their study titled, "Improving mental health in health care practitioners," 102 practitioners were divided into three groups:

• Group 1: Wrote a work-related gratitude journal 2x/week for four consecutive weeks
• Group 2: Wrote about work-related hassles 2x/.week for four consecutive weeks
• Group 3: No diary

The researchers collected information about depressive symptoms and perceived stress at baseline, posttreatment, and during a 3-month follow-up. Those who wrote a work-related gratitude journal experienced a decline in stress and depressive symptoms when compared to the other two groups. Groups two and three were nearly the same as each other.

Many of us have begun routines during Covid to keep mindfulness and gratitude top of mind. How are you keeping a practice of gratitude?  What are you grateful for today? Share three items of gratitude here to get started.

As we prepare for the holiday season, now is a good time to think about ways to practice gratitude. We have all heard of the benefits of practicing gratitude:

For the individual:

• increased happiness and positive mood
• more satisfaction with life
• less materialistic
• less likely to experience burnout
• better physical health
• better sleep
• less fatigue
• lower levels of cellular inflammation
• greater resiliency
• encourages the development of patience, humility, and wisdom

For groups:

• increases prosocial behaviors
• strengthens relationships
• may help employees' effectiveness
• may increase job satisfaction

Focusing on events at work about which one is grateful reduces stress and depression (Cheng, Tsui, & Lam, 2015). In their study titled, "Improving mental health in health care practitioners," 102 practitioners were divided into three groups:

• Group 1: Wrote a work-related gratitude journal 2x/week for four consecutive weeks
• Group 2: Wrote about work-related hassles 2x/.week for four consecutive weeks
• Group 3: No diary

The researchers collected information about depressive symptoms and perceived stress at baseline, posttreatment, and during a 3-month follow-up. Those who wrote a work-related gratitude journal experienced a decline in stress and depressive symptoms when compared to the other two groups. Groups two and three were nearly the same as each other.

Many of us have begun routines during Covid to keep mindfulness and gratitude top of mind. How are you keeping a practice of gratitude?  What are you grateful for today? Share three items of gratitude here to get started.

As we prepare for the holiday season, now is a good time to think about ways to practice gratitude. We have all heard of the benefits of practicing gratitude:

For the individual:

• increased happiness and positive mood
• more satisfaction with life
• less materialistic
• less likely to experience burnout
• better physical health
• better sleep
• less fatigue
• lower levels of cellular inflammation
• greater resiliency
• encourages the development of patience, humility, and wisdom

For groups:

• increases prosocial behaviors
• strengthens relationships
• may help employees' effectiveness
• may increase job satisfaction

Focusing on events at work about which one is grateful reduces stress and depression (Cheng, Tsui, & Lam, 2015). In their study titled, "Improving mental health in health care practitioners," 102 practitioners were divided into three groups:

• Group 1: Wrote a work-related gratitude journal 2x/week for four consecutive weeks
• Group 2: Wrote about work-related hassles 2x/.week for four consecutive weeks
• Group 3: No diary

The researchers collected information about depressive symptoms and perceived stress at baseline, posttreatment, and during a 3-month follow-up. Those who wrote a work-related gratitude journal experienced a decline in stress and depressive symptoms when compared to the other two groups. Groups two and three were nearly the same as each other.

Many of us have begun routines during Covid to keep mindfulness and gratitude top of mind. How are you keeping a practice of gratitude?  What are you grateful for today? Share three items of gratitude here to get started.