Should you be grateful for a job?

• In the 2020 debacle in terms of job and income loss, people who are employed feel a certain pressure to be grateful for it, and even have a measure of real gratitude. Many are thankful that they are still hired, still getting paid every month.
• Jobs provided post-pandemic seem prized, with candidates in awe of the fact that they are being considered, shortlisted and interviewed, when jobs are so scarce.
• While being grateful for what we have is a positive emotion with real benefits, there is a downside to this gratefulness, as it makes a person willing to endure unwelcome situations at work.

Gratitude has become a social norm, an internal voice that we must be thankful for a normal life. Suppressing negative feelings isn’t good, and we cannot ignore the problems we have (like workplace harassment or a bad boss) just by appreciating that we still get paid regularly.

Bypassing or avoiding negative feelings cuts off our connections with the signals given by them, resulting in us ignoring the signs of stress, fear, exhaustion and sadness.