How to give thanks and reap the rewards: the science behind gratitude

Gratitude, whether felt or expressed, is good for mental health, and compliments at work are an employer’s greatest asset in improving performance. The Irish should learn to be less suspicious

Dr Edward O’Connor, Associate Head of the Maynooth University School of Business. Photograph Moya Nolan

Edward O’Connor knows the value of gratitude. Before academia, the associate head of Maynooth University School of Business worked in industry, where he felt undervalued. That contrasts with the regular expressions of gratitude he now gets from students.

“I entered the workforce at 18 and worked in signing and branding companies over the next 20 years,” he says. “Looking back, there were times I lost my sense of purpose and I think part of that was because gratitude wasn’t practised in the workplace.”