As the cross country bus pulled away from the state course, the team cranked up a Bluetooth speaker. They didn’t blast “We are the Champions” by Queen, or “Shake It Off ” by Taylor Swift, even though a fair number of Swifties run for the team. Instead, they sung along with gusto to “All I want for Christmas is you” by Mariah Carey.
“We haven’t celebrated Thanksgiving yet!” I shouted to the back of the bus. Even though the history of Thanksgiving is fraught with colonialism, I’m not afraid to champion this holiday. Thanksgiving offers us the important opportunity to pause and practice gratitude. In a world plagued by violence and polarization, we need gratitude much more than another dancing Santa, or, sorry girls, Mariah Carey.
Don’t leap to Christmas without celebrating Thanksgiving
Full disclosure, I have very mixed feelings about Christmas. The holiday dredges up difficult memories for me that include nursing homes and alcoholism. And then there’s the commercialism. My local Walmart has already started bombarding customers with flashing decorations and jingle bell music, even though it’s only late November. As I said recently to a friend, I’m good with the Baby Jesus and lights, but all of the STUFF makes me ill.
Thanksgiving, on the other hand, does not stir up negative emotions for me. The holiday means having all my kids home. Sharing meals and games together. Seeing extended family. No stress about getting everyone gifts or running to concerts, parties, or the store for last minute stocking stuffers. Thanksgiving celebrates something that cannot be bought. (Besides the food.) Thanksgiving honors time together. Making connections. No gifts, just gathering. (See my post on prepping your heart and mind for a positive Thanksgiving.)
Many of us will ponder what we are thankful for as we share a meal this week. Why not turn that moment of thanksgiving into a habit, one you practice each day moving forward? Let’s use this Thanksgiving as a kick off for a regular gratitude practice.
Reasons to embrace gratitude
Gratitude is good for us. According to several articles I read, (see links below), practicing gratitude benefits our physical and mental health in some surprising ways. Plenty of research demonstrates the benefits of regularly gratitude, such as:
- reduces depression
- increases self-esteem
- promotes strong social relationships
- decreases blood pressure (In a 2021 review of the literature, participants who kept a gratitude journal saw their diastolic blood pressure drop.)
- improves sleeping (which in turn promotes other healthy behaviors, because when we are well rested, we are more motivated to exercise and make healthy food choices)
- decreases anxiety – practicing gratitude disrupts the negative thought patterns that make anxiety worse
How to practice gratitude
The research shows that just a little bit of time for gratitude each day can create healthy changes. One of the articles shared how a woman started feeling better by keeping a gratitude jar. Each night before bed, she wrote something she was thankful for on a small slip of paper and dropped it in a mason jar. When she felt down or discouraged, she could look at the jar, maybe even pull out a note, and remember all the good things of her life. I keep a journal, and often in my daily entries, I write about things that went well or goodness I saw in others.
Here are some concrete ways to practice gratitude:
- keep a gratitude journal, writing daily entries about things that went well in your life
- keep a gratitude jar
- write a thank you note to someone you are grateful for; be specific when you tell them what you appreciate about them or your relationship
- practice a few minutes of prayer or meditation each day, focusing on positive events or people
Scientist suggest linking your gratitude practice to something you already do each day will help you stick with the habit. Think of three things you are thankful for as your laptop boots up. Pray for/ think of someone who has does something nice for you while you brush your teeth. Instead of waking up and immediately running through the day’s to do list, come up with three things you are thankful for as you start your day. (I recently adopted that habit, and it helps me avoid stressful thoughts first thing in the morning.)
Another thing that helps me cultivate gratitude is reading positive, inspirational words from other people. A few books I recommend for that are:
- The Book of Delights: Essays by Ross Gay (read my review here)
- The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Dali Lama XIV, Desmond Tutu, and Douglas Abrams (my review)
Recommended reading about gratitude
- Gratitude Really Is Good for You. Here’s What the Science Shows, New York Times,
- Health benefits of gratitude, UCLA Health
- Giving thanks can make you happier, Harvard Health Publishing
Have I convinced you? Will you use this Thanksgiving to start a gratitude practice? If you already have one, please share what you do each day to stay positive.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks for getting nerdy with me!
These are good, and you’re so right. When I see so many horrible things going on in the world and even here, I am sometimes awed to realize how blessed many of us are–and we take it for granted. These are ways to avoid always doing that…thanks.
Glad you found it meaningful, Paul. Happy Holidays!