Day 5 of NOVA’s Gratitude and Appreciation Week: Future-Focused Friday!

April 26, 2024 / Get Well

Welcome to Day 5 of NOVA’s Gratitude and Appreciation Week. The theme for today is “Future-Focused Friday!”

Thank you, colleagues, for taking the Spring 2024 NOVA Gratitude and Appreciation Week journey. Let’s keep the spirit of the week going! We’ve shared a plethora of information and many examples of gratitude and appreciation practices. Keep in mind, though, that not every strategy works for everyone. And that’s quite all right! There’s no reason to struggle through a practice that you truly don’t enjoy or feel like you’re benefiting from. Just as there are many ways to physically exercise, there are plenty of ways to pursue gratitude.

Whichever practices you prefer, here are a few suggestions adapted from Mindful.org to help us keep the momentum of gratitude and appreciation week going.

  • Five days of gratitude, down. Congratulations! It’s important to acknowledge even small wins as real successes. For more on this, read “Celebrating Is Good for Your Brain.”
  • Consider a gratitude and appreciation challenge. Participating in a gratitude challenge will help you maintain your current practices. NOVA’s Office of Employee Wellness and Wellbeing’s (OEWW) collection of gratitude resources includes self-guided challenges.
  • Share your gratitude practice with others. Sharing the benefits of gratitude with others builds your support system and provides accountability partners. So get your friends and family involved!
  • Don’t forget to do it. Like all wellbeing habits, the most difficult part of the gratitude practice is remembering to do it. Set a reminder. Use a timer or download an app on your phone to track your gratitude on the go.
  • Build gratitude and appreciation into a habit with habit stacking. The scientifically proven concept of “habit stacking” is one of the best ways to automate your gratitude practice. The idea behind habit stacking is simple: incorporate a new behavior into your daily schedule by “stacking it” on top of an existing habit. Attaching a new behavior to something you already do regularly leverages the momentum of your established behaviors to more seamlessly incorporate the new ones.

Use Future-Focused Friday as the spark to energize your ongoing gratitude and appreciation practice. For more information and suggestions, visit the growing collection of gratitude resources curated by the OEWW for this spring’s Gratitude and Appreciation Week. Feel free to share additional resources that you have found to be especially impactful. Email your additions to employeewellbeing@nvcc.edu using the subject line “Impactful Gratitude Practices.”

Header: NOVA’S GRATITUDE AND APPRECIATION WEEK APRIL 22– 26, 2024. The background of the flyer is beige with decorative swirls and a nearly transparent lotus flower tucked behind the boxes on the page. There are green decorative dots and a decorative green tropical palm leaf. Box with green header for decoration. To the left is a circle with a decorative zen character. In the green box, it says, "Monday, April 22." In the light beige box, it says: Me Monday DAY 1: Sit quietly with your eyes closed or lowered. Check in with your body. Send thanks and appreciation to your body and mind for all the amazing work they do. If a distracting thought enters your mind, acknowledge it, then let it go. Box with green header for decoration. To the left is a circle with a decorative lotus flower. In the green box, it says, "Tuesday, April 23." In the light beige box, it says: Thoughtful Tuesday DAY 2: Today, notice the many attention-worthy things you see. Actively seek out and embrace the beauty in your world. Remember, the more you practice gratitude and presence, the more you'll find to be grateful for. Box with green header for decoration. To the left is a circle with an envelope icon inside of it. In the green box, it says, "Wednesday, April 24." In the light beige box, it says: Workplace Wednesday DAY 3: Write a thank-you note or email to a co-worker who deserves recognition. Send a quick NOVAfy or Team’s Praise. Let's take a pause, acknowledge contributions and celebrate each other while fostering a sense of belonging, community and wellness. Box with green header for decoration. To the left is a circle with a smile inside. In the green box, it says, "Thursday, April 25." In the light beige box, it says: Thankful Thursday DAY 4: Keep Going! Add these impactful practices to your toolkit: a gratitude list/journaling, a gratitude letter and affirmations. Gratitude is like a muscle — the more you practice, the more gratefulness will grow. Box with green header for decoration. To the left is a circle with an open book with a pen inside of it. In the green box, it says, "Friday, April 26." In the light beige box, it says: Future-Focused Friday DAY 5: Make a plan to continue practicing. Consider a challenge. Build gratitude and appreciation into a habit to maintain your practices. Access OEWW-curated resources to keep your practice fresh.

Submitted by: 
Dahlia Henry-Tett, Chief Wellness Officer (CWO), employeewellbeing@nvcc.edu