Monday, December 22, 2025

Building the Gratitude Muscle

Asking three simple questions can help you close each day feeling thoughtful and thankful for those around you at home and at work

Guide Magazine

By Ben Timmermans, Representative

My day-to-day routine is like that of any CLAC representative: visiting various job sites, shops, and break rooms; listening to members; and helping find solutions to issues. My evening routine is somewhat similar, but instead of helping adults solve problems, I have to resolve conflicts between my children (note: it’s harder, and I’m typically already tired from a long day like any working parent).

No matter how crazy the day became or how much negotiating it took to get them to bed, I always finish by asking my kids three questions to end on a thoughtful note:

What was your favourite part of the day?
What did you learn today?
What are you thankful for?

I started this routine during a busy season at work where I felt stretched. I noticed that after the flurry of school, dinner, and bedtime, there wasn’t enough time to really engage with each of my children. On any given night, my kids might share about school, a friend, or something new they learned. But I always have them end with what they're thankful for to strengthen their gratitude muscles.

I then thought about how this could play out in the workplace, and I began to ask myself these same questions at the end of every workday. Since then, I’ve noticed how they change the tone of conversations.

I walk into many rooms where members feel overworked, fatigued, and frustrated with the cost of living. These feelings aren’t wrong—respect and fair treatment are nonnegotiable.

But pairing expectations with reflection makes us more effective and more human with each other. Taking time to reflect moves conversations from reactive to thoughtful, from overly negative to solution oriented.

Here’s how this could show up at your workplace:

What was your favourite part of the day? A crew member says, “We knocked out that concrete pour right the first time.” Naming a win builds momentum and pride.
What did we learn? An apprentice explains a new safety trick, and suddenly half the team is trying it. Learning turns individual growth into shared strength.
What are we thankful for today? Someone mentions steady hours, a reliable coworker, or the safety meeting that flagged a hazard. Gratitude reminds us we’re not doing this alone.

In Canada, many of us work in safe workplaces with the protection of collective agreements and the ability to speak up. None of that happened by accident. It’s the result of people who believed dignity at work is worth organizing for.

Gratitude doesn’t cancel our fatigue or our right to fair pay and safe conditions. It clarifies why we keep showing up and how we show up for each other.

Here’s my invitation to you: for one week, ask these same three questions. Write the answers down. Share one with a coworker. Watch how small acknowledgments soften hard days and sharpen your sense of purpose.

The work you do matters. The way you do it matters just as much, shaping not only your day but the people around you.

You can end a shift tired and knowing you deserve better—that’s honest. But you can also choose to end it with gratitude, aware of the people beside you. As members, stewards, and representatives, let’s keep building that gratitude muscle together.

Building the Gratitude Muscle

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