This time of year seems to be the busiest season. There is turkey to baste, presents to buy and holiday entertaining to be done. And if you like being ahead of the game, you’ve already trimmed the Christmas tree and are humming Mariah Carey. All of this holiday hustle and bustle can bring along tasty food, nostalgic music and cold winter mornings. In the middle of what some might call yuletide madness, we are often reminded to show gratitude.
What ideas come to mind when you think of gratitude? Does it involve saying “thank you” to the staff in a restaurant or when someone lets us merge onto West Broad street during rush hour? If this is your definition of gratitude, you are certainly on the right track. Let’s take it one step further and think about gratitude as more of a state of being or a perspective. Intentionally and purposefully practicing gratitude is more of a mindset; a perspective that is not contingent upon our circumstances. Listed below are three ways to practice gratitude this holiday season:
An attitude of gratitude: The art of practicing gratitude is about things outside of ourselves. For example, many individuals give gratitude to a higher power or other people for things they are grateful for. It is not solely about being thankful for something, it's also about who you credit the goodness to.
Keep a gratitude journal: Keep a list of things, people, places you are grateful for and write them down as they come to mind. Remember to write down who you are thankful to for these things in your life. While it might seem tedious at first, this activity can help shift gratitude from a thought to a mindset.
Meditation: Oftentimes, individuals dismiss meditation because they feel it has to look or sound a certain way. There is no right way to meditate! The best way to meditate is going to be the way that is most conducive to your schedule. Try setting aside the first 5 minutes of your morning, preferably where you will have minimal distractions. As you become more comfortable, try adding 5 more minutes to your meditation time.
While it may not seem apparent on the surface, practicing gratitude is absolutely
connected with mental health outcomes. Gratitude can help us regulate emotions, manage stress and help shift our perspective to instill hope for the future. Studies show taking time to express gratitude on a consistent basis helps decrease anxiety and depressive symptoms.
At the end of the day, practicing gratitude is taking a new perspective and unfortunately that doesn’t happen overnight. Practicing gratitude is being intentional–just like the title of this blog was intentional. You might have heard the phrase that “practice makes perfect”; but I would argue that perfection does not exist. I have started using the phrase “practice makes better” in its place. There are going to be tough days, times where it can be hard to find anything to be grateful for. On those days we may not write anything in our gratitude journals–and that okay, too. But, there is a new day ahead. Keep going!
References
Ph.D, Tiffany Sauber Millacci. “What Is Gratitude and Why Is It so Important?”
PositivePsychology.com, 28 Feb. 2017, positivepsychology.com/gratitude-
appreciation/#what-is-the-gratitude.
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