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ent and persistent if problems arose.To further explore the effects of gratitude and its timing, we conducted two follow-up experiments with U.S. online gig workers. In the first, 331 participants were thanked either before or after working on an unsolvable wordassociation puzzle. Those who were thanked before the task reported greater feelings of social worth and willingness to continue with additional tasks even after failure compared to the group that was thanked after the experiment.In the second study we gave 330 new subjects solvable but difficult geometric puzzles and tested the effects of other positive sentiments, like hope. Expressing gratitude in advance, we found, was significantly associated with social worth, while hope in advance of the difficult task was unrelated to social worth. Offering gratitude in advance, unlike other mechanisms we tested, helped counteract the negative emotions caused by challenging tasks by increasing participants%u2019 feelings of social worth. Increasing people%u2019s sense of social impact, for example, did not have this emotionally regulating effect.How to Show Thankfulness MeaningfullyImagine again our earlier scenario when we asked you to imagine you were tasked with alerting colleagues about layoffs. The most tactful thing your boss could do is to express their genuine gratitude before you begin. Something as simple as, %u201cThank you for taking on this difficult task. I understand how unpleasant this is and appreciate you taking this responsibility so seriously.%u201d Our research found this %u201cthanks in advance%u201d expression of gratitude works by helping to down regulate the negative emotions associated with the difficult task before it actually occurs and encourages you to stick with it, despite it being extremely difficult and unpleasant.Instead of being a meaningless phrase used to sign off on an email or a sentiment that is only expressed after the fact, our research suggests that intentionally expressing gratitude in advance of a distressing or difficult task may favorably influence employee behavior. To do so effectively, our research suggests these four steps can make a difference:1. Anticipate distress, difficulty, and unpleasant emotions.The first step, and most important, is the anticipation of an employee%u2019s experience of distress, difficulty, or unpleasant emotions (e.g., anxiety, frustration). This requires not only being aware of what is going on in the moment, but also what is likely to happen in the future. Try to take on the perspective of your employee: what about what they%u2019re being asked to do might be