You may wonder if there is a connection between award certificates and happiness. We kicked-off this week with International Day of Happiness and it got us thinking about what makes people happy. Regardless of what people might say when asked what makes them happy, there is now an abundance of studies linking happiness with gratitude.
For example, psychology researcher Robert Emmons showed that expressing gratitude positively impacts our social performance but also our health – he found that people who regularly list things they are grateful for are more self-confident, more active and respond better to stress.
Actively and consciously looking at things we are grateful for helps us feel less frustrated, more positive while also helping us stay open and improving our relationships with others. With our love of both paper and creativity, we think that a good way to show gratitude is using award certificates. Recognizing someone’s merits is a way of saying thank you for your work, or for who you are.
How to show gratitude and build up your happiness muscles:
Use certificates to show appreciation for the important people in your life. Start a tradition of family awards, award your children for being hard working, improving a skill or overcoming a fear. Geographics.com offers a great selection of Printable Award Certificates and Seals you can use along with many Templates, Clip Art and Wording. Kids can award their grandparents or parents. Think about giving the Best Mom Award on Mother’s Day or the Best Dad Award for Father’s Day.
Don’t be shy to practice gratitude in the office. Studies have shown that people who feel appreciated are more productive, have lower stress levels and are generally more satisfied at work. So why not make it a habit to thank people for their contribution? All you need to do is grab your favorite Geographics Certificates along with a matching Document Cover. In the month of December, make a list of things you can award people for – being hard working, conscientious, a pleasure to be with, finishing a project ahead of schedule, completing important projects, bringing in a new major client, being proactive or creative, supporting others, etc.
Start a gratitude journal. Every evening, before going to sleep, take 5 – 10 minutes to list a few things you are grateful for. Keep it simple but consistent – you can be grateful for a great achievement at work but also for finding time to grab coffee with a good friend or a nice dinner with your family. This works wonderfully with kids also and the sooner they learn to express gratitude, the more natural it will feel and the happier they will be. To make the process more pleasant and to add an element of creativity, you can use your favorite Design Paper to make your daily gratitude list. Keeping a journal helps a lot. Finding at least three things that you can be grateful for and writing them down can improve your overall well-being and health.
So, make gratitude a daily habit and take advantage of its results.