Erica: Hey, girl. By now, you know I have Her Collective, my online community for ambitious women who are done doing it alone. Her Collective is for the women who are smart, capable, and driven, but they find themselves stuck on the sticky floors like self doubt, burnout, and waiting for permission that quite honestly never comes. Inside HER, you get more than motivation. You get real support, real strategies, and real momentum.

Erica: We work on things like clarifying what you want now and what's coming next, building confidence without burning yourself out, navigating hard conversations, career moves, and leadership moments with clarity, and surrounding yourself with women who actually get it. This isn't about hustling harder. It's about moving intentionally with the right tools and the right people in your corner. If you're ready to stop spinning, start choosing yourself, and build a career in life that actually feels aligned, I'd love to welcome you inside her collective. You can learn more and join us at www.joinhercollective.com.

Erica: Because honestly, girl, you were never meant to do this alone. It is officially the first week in November, and this is always the month of gratitude. Thanks to the American holiday of Thanksgiving. And guess what? I'm gonna jump on the bandwagon.

Erica: Why? Why not, y'all? There is research backed evidence that shows how beneficial a gratitude practice is in your life. But since this podcast is also all about getting into positions of power and staying there, we are going to talk about how this approach can transform your career. This isn't just some warm and fuzzy concept.

Erica: But if you do it right, it can be your secret weapon to success. Okay. So we all know that warm and fuzzy feeling when you say thank you to someone and you really, really mean it.

Erica: Like, they have just given you the most thoughtful and heartwarming compliment or maybe a sentimental gift that just touches you to the core. But did you know that gratitude can actually rewire your brain? Yep. That is right. Researchers have found that practicing gratitude can increase your overall well-being and decrease symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Erica: Seriously, when we express and also when we receive gratitude, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, and those are the two crucial neurotransmitters that are responsible for our emotions, and they make us feel good. They enhance our mood on the spot immediately, and they make us feel happy from the inside out. And who doesn't want more of that? And of course, the more you do this, the stronger the neuropathways become, which then creates a permanent, grateful, and positive nature within ourselves. So all those negative Nancy's that are around you, you're gonna have to give them the boot.

Erica: Research shows all you have to do is practice fifteen minutes of gratitude for five days a week for at least six weeks because it does take time to really boost your mental wellness and have this lasting change in perspective. So that's it, guys. Five days a week, fifteen minutes. I know you can find the time. But you wanna know what else?

Erica: A regular practice of gratitude also improves your physical health, not just your mental. So a review of 70 studies that includes responses from more than 26,000 people found an association between higher levels of gratitude and lower levels of depression. Y'all know depression is at an all time high right now, especially heading into the holidays. There's a lot of emotions and feelings, and sometimes it's really hard, so this is a great time to start. But people with a grateful mind Report higher satisfaction in life, stronger social relationships, and more self esteem than those who do not practice gratitude.

Erica: It lessens anxiety by combating negative thinking patterns and keeping your thoughts focused on the present. It also supports your heart health because it improves your sleep and diet and exercise routines. And all of that, your sleep, your diet, your exercise, that improves your heart health. Several studies have actually found that a grateful mindset positively affects biomarkers associated with the risk for heart disease. And what is really cool here so anyone with high blood bleh, I can't even say it right.

Erica: Anyone with high blood pressure or if high blood pressure runs in your family is that a 2021 review of research found that keeping a gratitude journal can cause significant drop in your diastolic BP. So that that number, when you're looking at your blood pressure, it is the force that your heart exerts between beats. Super important. So you wanna make sure that that number is as low as possible. Okay?

Erica: So practicing gratitude. If you've got high blood pressure, you're gonna wanna jump on this. But basically the point of this is you have no reason not to be grateful. Even more so everything you have in your life. Y'all your relationships, your home, the earbuds, the phone, the car, whatever you are listening to this podcast in, it's something that someone is wishing for.

Erica: And even if you are in a really low place, even if it everything is going wrong today. And if you are living and breathing and you woke up today, you have a reason to be grateful because not everybody did. So take that into account, take that into perspective. Yes. You will have your shitty days, and that's okay, but that is why we practice the power of gratitude.

Erica: So I have put together a seven day gratitude challenge. But it isn't just your normal plain chain gratitude challenge where you talk about what you're grateful for or you post on Facebook what you're grateful for one thing a day. No. This one is gonna be related to your career and your professional life because we are all about climbing the ladder of success. So I've designed a seven day gratitude challenge.

Erica: Why did I choose seven days? Y'all, November's crazy. I'm going to India for a little bit. It's Thanksgiving. We all have a lot going on.

Erica: And every time that I personally try to do a thirty day challenge, it always ends up being too much for me. I just get overwhelmed. So I wanted something that was bite sized, something chewable and seven days felt good. So each day of this challenge, you're gonna have a gratitude task that will be related to your professional life. You can choose to do all seven of them, or you could repeat one a couple times.

Erica: You do what resonates. Do what feels right. But let's get in. Let's do seven days. And you know what?

Erica: Then you can see where it spills over. You might even decide to go the entire month. You do you, boo. But are you ready? I'm gonna give you all seven days right now.

Erica: So either bookmark this segment of the podcast or write them down if you're not driving. But day one, acknowledge your progress. Yes. We are going to start with ourselves. You must be grateful for your damn self.

Erica: I want you to acknowledge just how far you have come in your career. What professional milestones are you really super proud of? Is it landing a dream job at your dream company or a recent promotion or a pay raise? Perhaps you wanna celebrate wrapping up a really challenging project. And you know what?

Erica: You can even celebrate walking away from a toxic culture. You 100% have so many steps in this journey no matter where you are on the corporate ladder that you can map out and be grateful for. So do it. What are you waiting for? Alright.

Erica: Day two. Appreciate a colleague. Now this one is easy enough. Just send a heartfelt thank you note and drop it off on their desk if you go into the office. Or if you're fully remote, send them an email.

Erica: So who's been a rockstar collaborator with you? Who has been a bonus team member that has stepped in and helped you out this year when you have needed it most? Now be mindful that the more specific you can be about why you want to thank them, the more benefit you will both, the more authentic that gratitude will feel. Now day three is thank a mentor. Send appreciation to a mentor or an advocate who has made a difference in your journey.

Erica: And maybe you've never thanked them properly before, but now is the time. If you feel you don't have a mentor or an advocate to thank, then you know what? Repeat, day two. Send another note to another person in your team and be appreciative of all that they have done for you. Now on day four, we are going to focus on you.

Erica: What makes you unique? What strengths do you bring to the table? Write down at least five qualities that you value in yourself. Are you an out of the box thinker? Are you an amazing strategist?

Erica: Maybe you excel in Excel, which God bless you. We need more people like you in the work force. Nothing is too big or too small, but pick out the unique strengths that you have and be damn grateful for them. Now on day five, we are going to find joy in the daily tasks. And I'm not talking about, yay, I get to check my email because who really loves that?

Erica: But I am about the tasks that light you up. So for me, I love being on the women in tech calls that we have at my work. And I also love any chance for a webinar where I can learn and grow in my knowledge or in my skills. So just find what it is about your job that lights you up and find joy in those tasks. On day six, I want you to acknowledge the challenges and acknowledge those challenges as opportunities.

Erica: And, yes, y'all, this is where it gets a little grittier, a little more challenging because even some of those bad situations, the ones where you've been really bummed out or really upset at work, those situations can be looked at with a lens of gratitude. So I want you to think about a challenge that you have faced. And now that you have the gift of hindsight, what did you learn from it? How did that end up benefiting you? It is always so good to have reflection points like this so that you can remind yourself and train your brain that when tough situations happen.

Erica: And when you go through bad things, you can come out on the other side and you will come out on the other side, and you know that you will make it through. So that's why I love this part of the challenge so much because it reminds us to be grateful even when times are tough. And then day seven, the final day, guess what? We are going to look into the future and I want you to set new goals for yourself. I want you to dream big.

Erica: And here's what I want you to do. I want you to think about that goal right now. Really think about it. What is that goal? What is that next step?

Erica: And now I want you to write it down, and then I want you to take that goal, and I want you to three x that goal. Now you might be thinking, what the hell, Erica? Three x? But yes. Because the truth is you're not dreaming big enough.

Erica: You can go bigger. If you're dreaming of becoming a director one day, why not a senior VP or a c level? If you're dreaming of replacing your corporate income with your own business income, why not three x your business income? Like, come on. Let's go big.

Erica: Y'all when I think back to my first vision board that I had at my first real job, I remember putting up $80,000 because I knew that I would have made it when I made $80,000. Now come on. Was that a big enough goal? Was that a big enough dream? Girl, no.

Erica: So let's go big. Alright. Seven days. Once you have finished these seven days, I want you to come back to me on any of these socials, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram. I want you to tell me how did this work for you?

Erica: Who were you grateful for? What what was your favorite day? I really want to know. And you know what I started doing? I actually just thought of this.

Erica: So I want to drop it in this podcast because it is a really great way to be grateful and to remember all of these things, but send a recommendation on LinkedIn. It is a great way to visibly thank someone for their amazing work. So what are you waiting for? Get after it. Oh, and if you would not mind, I would be so grateful if you would leave a podcast review if you haven't done that already.

Erica: It truly does help it land in the hands of the person that needs to hear it most. Bye for now.