Why gratitude is one of the best productivity hacks

I woke up on March 25th (Wild Courage’s book birthday) with no plans for the day.

Then I felt this pull: I wanted to thank the people who helped make the book real.

So I sent voice memos to my agent, my editors, and a mentor who shaped the book strategy. It felt incredible!

Then I thought: You know what else I want to do?

I wanted to thank my three closest friends in my neighborhood. They walked me off the ledge on endless hikes when I was leaving Google and listened to years of me freaking out: Can I make a living as an author? Or am I going to be a starving artist?

So I took my kids to the supermarket. We picked out bouquets and delivered them.

It was so much fun. And I felt so good.

The Problem

You’re feeling down and stuck in a work funk.

You’re waiting for something external to pull you out, like a win, a promotion, or someone noticing your hard work.

Want to know a secret? The fastest way to feel better is to thank someone.

The Big Small Thing

Thank someone today. (And no, I’m not talking about writing something in your gratitude journal.)

Gratitude is intrinsic, but thanking is relational. It involves the other person. It creates connection.

When you thank someone, your brain releases dopamine and serotonin: the feel-good chemicals. And expressing thanks (not just feeling it) has lasting effects on your mood and wellbeing.

Here’s 5 fun ways to say thank you:

1. Send a handwritten thank you note.

Old school. Powerful. Someone will keep it on their desk for months.

2. Block 10 minutes on your calendar EOD each Friday to thank one person over email.

End of the week, pick one person who helped you. Tell them exactly what they did that mattered.

3. Use your company’s recognition program.

At Google, we had a program where you could give nearly $200 to a certain number of people each quarter. Yes, real cash! And it was wildly underleveraged.

If your company has a program like this, use it. If they don’t, start one.

4. Ping someone mid-meeting.

Slack or chat them: “You just crushed that presentation.”

I once gave the biggest presentation of my life to a lot of Google’s C-suite. One of the C-suite people pinged me mid-meeting: “Jenny, you just crushed that.”

It was half a decade ago; I will never forget that moment.

5. Buy someone flowers (or coffee / lunch).

Take your kids. Pick out bouquets. Deliver them. Grab coffee for someone who’s been helping you or take them to lunch.

The act of doing it — not just thinking about it — is what matters.

Want more tips like this? Subscribe to my weekly newsletter!

How This Helps You Get What You Want

If you’re stuck in a funk, waiting for someone to notice you or appreciate you won’t pull you out.

But thanking someone else will.

It’s relational. It creates connection. And it makes you feel better immediately.

So today, thank someone.