That’s why we’re inviting you to help us create a gratitude groundswell

As we all manage through the uncharted territory of COVID-19 and practice social distancing, it’s hard not to feel lonely at times. Even before the pandemic, 30% of Canadians reported feelings of persistent social isolation and loneliness. It’s clear that we need to find ways to ensure the need for physical distancing doesn’t translate to greater social distancing and isolation. After all, the best way through these truly unusual times is together.

‍

While we can’t come together in person, we can come together as a virtual community and support one another. Gratitude has a powerful role to play in reminding us we’re all part of a caring community. Research has found that gratitude is strongly associated with greater happiness. Expressing gratitude helps people deal with adversity, sleep better, feel more positive emotions, improve their physical and psychological health and build strong relationships.

Every Friday our team at Key ends the week by each of us sharing one thing we’re grateful for, along with our wins for the week. We’re now extending that approach to our broader communities. Starting today, everyone at Key is reaching out to at least two people each week to share why we’re grateful they’re part of our community.

This simple act will not only make the recipients feel happier and more connected, it will also feed our happiness. In fact, research by Harvard University found that people who expressed gratitude were more optimistic, felt better about their lives and, surprisingly, they even exercised more. At a time when we need to physically distance ourselves, these powerful benefits and coming together socially are all the more appealing.

‍

We would love you to join us in creating a gratitude groundswell. It’s as simple as these 3 steps…

1. Reach out on your social media to share why you’re grateful someone is part of your community
2. Easily engage others by tagging them and encouraging them to join in
3. Include #CommunityisKey to help fuel the gratitude groundswell

‍