Appreciation During Hard Seasons

The organization has been through layoffs.

The people who remain are absorbing additional work while wondering what will happen next.

Then an email arrives.

“Thank you for your flexibility, resilience, and continued commitment during this exciting time of change.”

The message may be sincere. It may also feel like a request to keep enduring quietly.

When people are exhausted, grieving, or uncertain, appreciation still matters. But it has to tell the truth.

Name what the change has required

Leaders often reach for encouraging language during a difficult season. They want to reassure people and restore confidence. Naming the difficulty may feel like adding to it.

So they emphasize opportunity, resilience, and moving forward.

But imagine reading “Thank you for staying positive” when you’ve spent the week worrying about your job and covering work you barely have time to learn.

A different message might be easier to trust.

“This change has created uncertainty and additional work. You’ve kept clients informed while the process was changing around you. We see the care that has taken.”

That message acknowledges what the change has required. It gives people room to feel how they feel.

Before saying thank you, say what you understand.

Be careful what you praise

Resilience can be a meaningful thing to acknowledge. It can also become something we keep asking people to supply.

A team works nights and weekends for months. Each completed project brings another thank-you for their dedication. Eventually, the praise starts to sound like an expectation that they’ll do it again.

The World Health Organization’s description of burnout connects it to prolonged workplace stress that has not been successfully managed. Its definition applies specifically to work.

That makes the conditions people are working under part of the conversation. If we keep praising how well they’re managing, we can miss how much needs to change.

Say what you can do next

Go back to the team absorbing work after layoffs.

Their manager may have little control over hiring. They can still be clear about what they know and take responsibility for decisions within their reach.

“You’ve taken on work from roles we haven’t filled. I can’t give you a hiring date yet. This week, we’re deciding what can pause. Let’s look at the deadlines together.”

A meal or gift might also be welcome. The conversation about what can pause gives people something else they need.

Following through matters. If the manager promises to review priorities, the team needs to hear what was decided and see work come off the list.

Hard seasons happen outside work, too

Grief, caregiving, illness, and major transitions can also make familiar words of appreciation difficult to receive.

We may tell a friend they’re “so strong” because we admire how they’re getting through the day. They may hear another expectation to keep holding everything together.

We can acknowledge what we see without asking them to make it look easy.

“You’ve been managing appointments, meals, and calls all week. I can bring dinner Tuesday or pick up groceries Thursday. Would either help?”

A specific offer lets them know what’s available. They can accept, decline, or tell you something else would be more useful.

Make the gesture easier to receive

Even a kind gesture can add to someone’s day. A team celebration takes time. A gift may require a trip to collect it. A wellness session may fill the hour someone needed to finish their work.

Before choosing a gesture, ask:

• What do I understand about what they’re carrying?
• Will this reduce pressure or add to it?
• What can I realistically take off their list?

Then make an offer you can follow through on.

Sometimes appreciation is helping someone carry less.