As the director of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Carver College of Medicine and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry, I am passionate about efforts to improve well-being, social connections, and ensure a sense of belonging.

Through these roles and my own continued growth and learning, I have seen how gratitude can promote inclusivity.

Gratitude is a sense of appreciation an individual has for the goodness in their lives, both within and outside of themselves. Expressing gratitude helps improve human connection, which is an essential part of inclusion. Like gratitude, inclusivity is associated with positive emotions, decreased stress, increased sense of well-being, strengthened interpersonal relationships, and improved workplace climate and performance. The objective of inclusion is for an individual to be respected, valued, and supported. Inclusion encourages connection that can be fulfilled through acts of gratitude.

To encourage your practice of gratitude, here are three examples of how you can express gratitude and promote inclusivity:

1. Change your perspective: Gratitude can be inspired by checking for silver linings or savoring good moments. In addition, changing your mindset and putting yourself in someone else’s shoes also motivates gratitude. In doing so, you can build empathy, respect, and support for others, which promotes inclusivity. Want to know more? Check out “The Grateful Hawks Project.”
2. Increase your prosocial behavior - Prosocial behavior is “a broad class of behaviors defined as involving costs for the self and resulting in benefits for others.” (1) In other words, prosocial behavior involves actions that we do, such as donating and volunteering, with the intent to help others. Gratitude is one avenue to encourage prosocial behavior. However, prosocial behavior also increases gratitude. Consider writing a letter of gratitude to a friend or colleague highlighting your appreciation and their importance, and value. Gratitude Letter | Practice | Greater Good in Action (berkeley.edu) Letters of Gratitude: How to Write a Message of Appreciation (positivepsychology.com)
3. Practicing Self-Gratitude: Gratitude can help us have a greater appreciation for our success, fortunes, and opportunities and increase contentment or sense of well-being within our own lives. By focusing more on the positive aspects of our life, we can pay less attention to what we don’t have. Furthermore, by practicing self-gratitude, we can reflect on our unique strengths and abilities. This, in turn, can make it easier to be less critical of others and instead value their unique qualities and varying identities. I find that when I engage in self-gratitude, I am better able to give grace and am more appreciative of others.

As a side note, accepting gratitude is a part of self-gratitude. When someone expresses appreciation or compliments me, I am guilty of deflecting or minimizing instead of saying, “Thank you!” Try to practice acceptance of gratitude as a way of engaging in self-gratitude. Here are some tips: Five Strategies to Graciously Accept Gratitude and Compliments | Jennifer Hunt MD

Create gratitude in our inclusive work: Efforts to make individuals feel valued and included create significant rewards in terms of performance, productivity, and satisfaction. Some avenues include nurturing an environment of empathy, listening, perspective-taking, and humble leadership, which will strengthen relationships, improve workplace climate, and feelings of inclusion and belonging. In addition to writing gratitude letters, gratitude can be embedded in performance evaluations and professional development initiatives that highlight a person’s unique qualities and strengths. Consider spotlighting individuals for their efforts that promote inclusion and a sense of belonging. More resources on how gratitude can be a cultural norm in the workplace, or an organization can be found HERE.

Expressing gratitude is one avenue to inclusivity and helping others feel seen, heard, valued, and appreciated.

1. Rafael Wittek, René Bekkers, Altruism and Prosocial Behavior, Sociology of, Editor(s): James D. Wright, International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences (Second Edition), Elsevier, 2015, Pages 579-583, ISBN 9780080970875, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.32158-4.

Cover photo by Courtney Hedger on Unsplash