Expressing gratitude at work physically benefits health, new study shows 

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) –  According to a new study published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, a simple thank you expressed between co-workers reduces stress, improves job performance, and is physically beneficial to a person’s health. 

Researchers at the University of California San Diego recruited 200 college students and asked them to compete in a simulated version of the TV show, Shark Tank.

Participants were put in teams of two for a total of 100 groups. All groups were given 6 minutes to come up with a pitch for creating and marketing a bicycle for students to ride on campus.

Half of the groups were told to express gratitude toward each other for their work under the high pressure situation. The other half were not given the same instruction.

Results showed the groups told to express gratitude responded better to stress compared to the other group as measured by positive changes in their physiology. 

Their hearts pumped more blood causing the blood vessels to widen. This allows more oxygen to get to the brain resulting in an increased ability to focus.

“Gratitude expressions within work environments may be key to managing our day-to-day stress responses as well as optimizing how we respond during high pressure performance tasks, such as product pitches, so that we can make our stress responses fuel performance instead of harm it,” author Dr. Christopher Oveis said in a statement.