Take some time for gratitude

25 November 2024

I love Thanksgiving. It’s a holiday that reminds me to be grateful.

While it’s a blissfully stress-free day for me (I don’t have to do anything but eat and enjoy the company of my friends-who-are-family), I know Thanksgiving can be stressful for some. And it’s the launch day for a potentially stressful holiday season.

Here’s what I want to suggest: Take some quiet time this week and make a list of things you’re thankful for. Like me, you may have been through a lot this year. But even amidst challenges and sorrows, you can always find silver linings when you look for them. Can you write down a few this week?

Reflecting on your blessings can help you reduce stress. Science shows that it makes you happier. “Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships,” according to a Harvard health newsletter article on happiness research. And science also shows an inverse relationship between gratitude and loneliness, according to this Washington Post article that details simple ways to create a gratitude practice and reap its benefits.

There’s no better time than now to take a quiet moment and reflect on all you have to be grateful for. I hope you’ll take a few moments this Thanksgiving and do just that.

Happy Thanksgiving. I’m grateful for you.

Photo by Megan Watson on Unsplash

Tagged with: gratitude, thanksgiving