Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Mumsnet classics

Relive the funniest, most unforgettable threads. For a daily dose of Mumsnet’s best bits, sign up for Mumsnet's daily newsletter.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

To not keep a flipping ‘gratitude journal’

353 replies

Eastie77Returns · 21/02/2022 21:02

New manager at work, from the US if that’s relevant, declared a few weeks back that she thought it would a great idea for the team to start keeping a gratitude journal. Not my cup of tea at all but I was wasn’t bothered as it was optional. Then journals arrived at our home addresses in the post, she’d ordered them for everyoneConfused

On our weekly team meetings she started asking volunteers to read journal entries aloud. When no-one volunteered, she picked people. A few colleagues ‘read’ clearly made up on the spot entries. When it was my turn I just said I’m not keeping the journal. I’m grateful for many things but I don’t write them down. She didn’t look happy and I’ve heard I’m now on her shit list for not being a team player or something. WIBU??!

OP posts:
Crepuscularshadows · 22/02/2022 21:38

Concrete poems are the way forward

I'm grateful for

Fine weather
Urban Foxes
Crisp mornings
Kenko decaff coffee

Yellow daffodils
Ordnance survey maps - the orange ones
Understated box dyes

DoubleGauze · 22/02/2022 21:22

I'm sorry you're going through this op. It's utter nonsense. Firstly , to make you write in this journal when it's nothing to do with your job. And secondly to ask you to read aloud from it , as if you choose to keep a journal its none of anyone elses business!

We had some similar ridiculousness when I worked as a sen ta. We'd had a hard, hard week as the kids had been tricky as lots of our team were off sick. Some staff had been hurt but mainly , we were all drained and emotional. What did management do? What we'd have liked was to know for sure that they'd supply cover if a 1:1 ta was ill , and possibly for them to listen to our cries for a proper tea break. What we got was an airy fairy group session with a therapist in which she made us participate in an activity that you'd normally do with year 1 children. I was really annoyed as we were pulled out of the after school clubs we teach to do this bloody thing. My club afternoon was the highlight of my week often.

I am grateful that there was no journal proved to us though.

nocoolnamesleft · 22/02/2022 21:11

I can’t risk it, manager would probably book me in for a 1-1 ‘healing time’ session or something equally hideous.

Oh god. No. Don't risk that.

DoubleGauze · 22/02/2022 21:09

Mental first aider? WTAF

ifIwerenotanandroid · 22/02/2022 21:04

My husband's place of work has mental first aiders. It seems fraught with problems, to me. If anything went wrong, who would get sued? The company? The first aider? Plus, is it right to put the stress of looking after someone onto ordinary staff? What if someone talks about inappropriate things, or becomes dependent? Or does a first aider just act as a signpost person & tell them where to find help? What if the first aider is a jerk & tells everyone or uses it against the person needing help?

WildFlowerBees · 22/02/2022 20:52

I'm grateful that my cat didn't shit in the litter tray at 3am waking me up with her stinking message.

I'm grateful my womaniser vibrator is rechargeable and not an obscure battery.

I'm grateful that the people buried in my garden haven't been reported missing.

Original poster
Eastie77Returns · 22/02/2022 20:42

@nocoolnamesleft

Have you considered sobbing gently, and announcing that "It's just...it's too...triggering!"?
I can’t risk it, manager would probably book me in for a 1-1 ‘healing time’ session or something equally hideous.

She is a mental health first aider within the company. No idea what that involves but it seems to be very en vogue in my industry at the moment. I’ve seen a few people in my network post self congratulatory messages on LinkedIn stating that they’ve qualified as one of these first aiders.

OP posts:
ifIwerenotanandroid · 22/02/2022 20:39

Buffet - Grin No, he was terribly English. Wish I could remember who it was.

nocoolnamesleft · 22/02/2022 20:15

Have you considered sobbing gently, and announcing that "It's just...it's too...triggering!"?

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 22/02/2022 19:59

I remember someone saying that when 'sharing the peace' was introduced at his church & the other person sitting on his pew turned to him, he simply said, "No thank you, I'm British," & that was that.

I'm presuming the church wasn't in Glasgow? Everybody would have heard 'share the piece' and been expecting to get a big bite of your sandwich!!

ifIwerenotanandroid · 22/02/2022 19:51

@Frannibananni

I read the tittle of the post and thought for sure it would be about a teacher requesting 6year olds to do this as homework and even then I thought what a crap idea. Honestly I would just say no thank you and do the cold stare.
I remember someone saying that when 'sharing the peace' was introduced at his church & the other person sitting on his pew turned to him, he simply said, "No thank you, I'm British," & that was that.
Fairislefandango · 22/02/2022 19:50

God she sounds like a pain in the arse.

This from upthread sums it up best, I think:

nothing wrong with being deeply cynical about contrived pop psychology foisted on the unwilling as an attempt to tick some corporate wanky idea of “improving the workplace”. It’s infantilising, intrusive, and insulting.

Lots of funny suggestions on here though Grin.

YouokHun · 22/02/2022 19:37

@FrankGrillosFloof

How about a bit of Dido?

IIIIIII IIIIIIII want to tha-ank you,
For giving me the best days of my liiiiiife.
Oh, just to be with you,
Is having the best day of my life.

I’m afraid I read that as “how about a bit of dildo?”I didn’t question it from a gratitude perspective but I did think it would be a difficult one to read out to colleagues and the lyrics confused me; I thought the “liiiiiffffe” was some sort of vibration thing - all a bit awkward in the work environment.

I have now put my glasses on so apologies @FrankGrillosFloof

Greenandcabbagelooking · 22/02/2022 19:24

Or, all the colours from Joseph...

I'm grateful for red, orange, yellow, green, brown etc..

Greenandcabbagelooking · 22/02/2022 19:22

I'm thankful the music
I'm thankful for the songs I'm singing
I'm thankful for the joy I'm bring

grapewine · 22/02/2022 16:58

@Monopolyiscrap

Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing Thanks for all the joy they're bringing
Love it 😁
BlackAmericanoNoSugar · 22/02/2022 16:46

"I am grateful that we are meeting online and not in person as forced happiness makes me want to rip someone's head off and shit down their neck. And I'd probably go to prison for that."

RachelGreeneGreep · 22/02/2022 16:08

@HermioneGrangersHair

I think I’d just play along each day...just to piss her off

I am grateful that someone invented Jaffa cakes
I’m grateful that Pet Shop Boys are still touring
I’m grateful that we know who shot JR
I’m grateful that diamonds are a girls best friend
I’m grateful my Dc are now potty trained
Etc

Who shot JR - I love it. Grin You could have fun with that. Pick stories from any tv series/ soap or whatever. 'I'm grateful that x didn't die in Eastenders'...
Monopolyiscrap · 22/02/2022 16:05

For the gladness here where the sun is shining at
evening on the weeds at the river,
Our prayer of thanks.

For the laughter of children who tumble barefooted and
bareheaded in the summer grass,
Our prayer of thanks.

For the sunset and the stars, the women and the white
arms that hold us,
Our prayer of thanks.

RachelGreeneGreep · 22/02/2022 16:03

I would have fun with it, as others have suggested. Find an obscure song or poem and have fun reading out a line at a time. I would be cringing so hard if this happened to me, tbh, but that's what I would do.

Monopolyiscrap · 22/02/2022 16:03

I'm grateful for the storm
Made me appreciate the sun
I'm grateful for the wrong ones
Made me appreciate the right ones
I'm grateful for the pain
For everything that made me break
I'm thankful for all my scars
'Cause they only make my heart
Grateful

Monopolyiscrap · 22/02/2022 16:00

Thank you for the music, the songs I'm singing
Thanks for all the joy they're bringing

dodobookends · 22/02/2022 15:56

I'm so grateful for my new comfortable animal slippers - I really love my tiger feet.

Monopolyiscrap · 22/02/2022 15:22

Yes, I'm thankful for the Lord above
The gift of His unending love
The promise kept that there is something more
These are the things I'm thankful for

FrankGrillosFloof · 22/02/2022 15:08

How about a bit of Dido?

IIIIIII IIIIIIII want to tha-ank you,
For giving me the best days of my liiiiiife.
Oh, just to be with you,
Is having the best day of my life.