Gratitude exercises for employees

Gratitude exercises are a great way to promote a positive work environment. They help boost morale, enhance participation, and are a fun tool for reflecting on all the amazing things your team is accomplishing!

In this video, I’m sharing five gratitude exercises that you can try with your coworkers.

0:00 Intro
0:28 Gratitude Board
1:32 Community Lunch
2:24 Thank You Notes
3:00 Gratitude Hot Seat
3:31 Milestone Celebrations

The first gratitude exercise I recommend trying is a gratitude board.

Gratitude boards offer a physical and visual representation of gratitude.

To create one, set up a blackboard or a corkboard in your office that team members can attach things to. You’ll also want to leave out decorating tools like sticky notes, magnets, push pins, markers, and tape. If you're a remote team, consider digital alternatives instead, like a Trello board! Gratitude boards can be filled with anything from notes about specific moments to photos from a recent team retreat.

Encourage team members to leave messages about personal workplace achievements (big or small!), shoutouts to colleagues, photos, and keepsakes. Over time, the board becomes an ongoing reminder of the positive aspects of the workplace and can be an excellent tool for promoting a positive mindset throughout the week!

Another great way to show gratitude at work? Organize a community lunch to show your appreciation for employees!

When planning a community lunch, it’s important to choose a time during the work week that offers a break from completing tasks and an opportunity to de-stress — Fridays are always a favourite!

Survey employees about where they may want to eat, ensuring you consider dietary restrictions and accessibility. If team members are working remotely, consider sending gift cards for online ordering services and have a Zoom lunch instead!

These lunches are a great way to spark conversation and build relationships among coworkers who may not get to engage with one another day to day—plus, who doesn’t love good food?

Another easy and accessible way to express gratitude in the workplace is through thank-you notes. In fact, they’re one of the best ways to voice recognition and build positive relationships between colleagues and leadership!

Consider sending a thank you note to an applicant after a positive job interview, to a team member who has provided support on a project, as a random act of kindness, or to valued clients you work with outside of your organization. The simple acknowledgment of how important someone’s skills or contributions are to your team can go a very long way!

Next, if you want to turn your gratitude practice into something of a team-building session, try playing ‘Gratitude Hot Seat’ before your next meeting.

To play, have one person sit in the “hot seat” and share what they are grateful for or appreciative of at work. It can be anything from a relationship with a coworker to a successful project outcome. Take turns letting everyone sit in the hot seat until your whole group has had a chance to share. At the end, discuss everyone’s responses as a group!

And finally, don’t miss out on celebrating milestones as a way of showing gratitude!

Milestone celebrations can include anything from commemorating special anniversaries, like 5, 10, or 20 years at the company, to starting an employee of the month program, or hosting an employee appreciation day for your entire team!

You can amplify your impact with thoughtful additions like personalized gifts, extra time off, professional development opportunities, or public shout-outs for a job well done in your company newsletter or on social media!

And that’s that for today’s gratitude exercises! Try one or all five of these exercises at your workplace, and let us know how it goes in the comments below! And before you go, can I ask you one small favour? If you enjoyed this video, please consider subscribing to our channel. Your support helps us continue to create more content just like this, in the future. Until next time!