Gratitude in Action

In the final episode, CNBC Senior Personal Finance Correspondent Sharon Epperson shares how she overcame personal challenges and redefined her work through gratitude, communication, and the interplay between the two.

Highlights:

• Burnout is real and a significant mental health challenge for many. When employees feel they’re doing the best job they can, yet their efforts are not being seen or appreciated, they often just give up.
• Gratitude in the workplace doesn’t happen often enough. “A simple ‘thank you’ can go a long way because – all too often – no one ever says it,” noted Sharon.
• Yes, employees should be thanked – just for doing their job. Your employees are people who may be dealing with a sick child, a fender bender, or a flooded basement – yet they still continue to do their work.
• Your personal life will be a part of your professional life. Sharon reminds employers to “keep in mind what people are leaving behind as they come to work.”
• Gratitude enabled her return to work possible. The gratitude her company showed her enabled her to return in a way that allowed her to do her job, but at the pace and the level she could handle.
• Be your true, authentic self at work. “Just be authentic. It’s important to be who you are. And be proud of that.”
• It’s important to connect with co-workers on a “real level.” “Everyone is going through something,” noted Sharon. “So to say ‘thank you’ goes such a long way.”

NOTES:

• Follow Sharon Epperson on Twitter.
• Sharon's book.