Gratefully noticing
One particular Grateful In April prompt resonated, it also reminded me of why gratitude matters. This particular prompt was about sleep, the email pointed to findings that people who practice gratitude are likely to sleep better. I thought about sleep and gratitude from a different angle and wanted to use it as an example of why creating the time and practice of being grateful matters.
I'm not alone, nor is it rocket science, that getting a good night's sleep is one of those core things for being at my best. There are heaps of references and literature that point you to the benefits and rationale. This week I had a couple of not-great nights and I felt it during the days that followed.
It can be easy to notice when things aren't good when they aren't going well. We notice because of the impact they have or because of the trouble they can cause. They stand out for the inconvenience or extra work. They give us talking points. They drive us to action. Sleep is a good example of this. When you realise your sleep isn't as great as it could be you can look at different ways to set yourself up for a good night's sleep, alter your routine or change your diet. So something not being or going right can cause us to take action, to fix something that isn't right.
Then one night, I had a really good night’s sleep and in the morning, was all set for just getting on with the day. Then I paused. In a split second, I realised I was grateful for being able to get on and thankful for the good night's sleep. It was a second and probably because of the prompts and reminders I've been receiving about the impact of gratitude.
When we notice and call attention to the things going well, and the impact that has on us, then we don't take them for granted. We also realise they are important to us, so habits don't drift or start to slip. Noticing and being grateful can keep us on track. It calls attention to what is valuable and what matters so we keep it front of mind and keep us focused on the things that keep it working well.
Of course, it doesn't mean there isn't always room for improvement, ideas that can be tested to see if things can get even better, so I don't think gratitude brings about complacency, I think it does the opposite, it says 'this is important enough to notice'.
There can be many things this analogy could apply to. What do you only pay attention to when something goes wrong? What can you acknowledge or notice every day when it goes right that can help keep things front of mind for your whole team? Relating this to patient safety, calling out the multiple things that go well every day, what can you learn about why and how they went right?