Wellbeing and the Power of Praise

Wellbeing and the Power of Praise

Our Happiness Enthusiast on the simple power of praise, and why if you think something nice about somebody, you should probably tell them.

I am a serial complimenter. Not spuriously, but quite consistently – because for me it scores highly on an impact-feasibility assessment for wellbeing. Let me give you some examples.

For Example… 

My son’s nursery makes it easy because every month they ask for ‘employee of the month’ nominations, and they send out a Google form.📋
It takes five minutes to fill out that form with effusive praise for someone you’ve had a pleasant interaction with – and I make sure I spend those five minutes every month.

The receptionist at my son’s school has the most cheerful phone manner I’ve ever experienced – and since I hate making phone calls, this instantly relaxes me. They know whose kid has tonsillitis when the conversation starts with ‘oh it’s always such a pleasure to call you – it’s 8am on a Tuesday and you answer the phone like it’s Christmas morning’. ☎️

I know this might sound ‘cringe’ – I see my husband flinch sometimes, most recently on a trip to Jodrell Bank when I asked the staff if they’d had special training in wonderful welcomes.

I do not care. My motto (I have it on a mug thanks to Becci) are ‘words are a powerful source of magic’. FREE magic. 🪄

A Veteran of Praise…

I noticed its power at the first girls night I hosted in my first bachelorette pad 15 years ago. Some of my guests didn’t know one another and for the price of a packet of post it notes I made my bedroom wall a place to stick compliments addressed to their new friends. The Wall of Happiness.

During the first months of Covid, we asked staff at the hospital we were working at to nominate one another to receive veg boxes. 🥬I wrote this at the time:

“The process of nominating was so much more than distributing free cauliflower. It was about having that opportunity to say to someone:

Thank you. I admire you. I respect you. I appreciate you. I am proud of you. I love you.

– We say none of this enough.”

(Read the rest of this blog here: The Power of Thank You)

Being seen and valued can feel… weirdly uncomfortable. People often respond with fluster. That doesn’t deter me, because their gratitude only flusters me in return. I like to plant the seed and move on. 

So many people are doing wonderful things to create that extra bit of joy within their small circles of control. The more we notice it, the more we nurture it. So I will continue to be a serial complimenter (or Happiness Ambassador if you will).

Who’s been especially lovely or helpful to you recently? Have you told them? Can you tell them now? ✨