Care Counseling: Gratitude and Giving Back at Work

Gratitude and Giving Back at Work

An attitude of gratitude has a significant benefit on my well-being, especially regarding the workplace and relationships with colleagues.

It feels good to feel valued for not only the work that you do but for who you are as a person—to feel supported, encouraged, and inspired to become the best version of yourself.

Can you imagine the ripple effects of a mindset that is grateful—where one can contribute in meaningful ways within the community, give back, and be CARE’d for along the way?

Organizational psychologist Adam Grant in his book “Give-and-Take” writes that most people are either takers, givers, or matchers.

A taker is self-serving, looking for what they can get.

A giver is focused on the needs of others and what they can do to help. Unfortunately, they are especially prone to burnout. This includes those of us in the helping professions.

Did you know that nearly half of psychotherapists are reporting burnout? This is one of the many reasons why self-care is essential.

We all have moments of giving and taking. Most people tend to be somewhere in the middle. A matcher gives but anticipates a return in the future.

A few interesting points that Grant makes is the “givers sacrifice selves but make their organizations better”. “Success is highly interdependent on how we interact with others…it’s really about contribution and helping other people succeed”.

Grant talks about the importance of work culture. Here are ways to cultivate this–

Create a culture in which help-seeking is the norm (where it is OK to give and receive).
Make it easy to ask for help. Consider having designated individuals who have the sole responsibility to be there to ask for help.
Take measures to help protect your givers from burnout.
Weed out the takers in your organization so that you have givers and matchers.

CARE Counseling has received a lot of recognition lately for its success as an organization. In my opinion, this is driven by the leader’s focus on giving back to their employees and to the community, working hard to create a culture that is in alignment with CARE’s values through hiring and retention, making it easy to ask for help with the systems in place, and creating a fun community environment where team members feel supported and protected from burnout.

You can check out Adam Grant’s TED Talk Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyXRYgjQXX0

You can learn more about CARE being an awesome place to work here: https://care-clinics.com/care-counseling-ranks-no-29-in-the-star-tribunes-best-places-to-work/

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