Thanksgiving as a Daily Practice
Do you wish to improve your physical and mental health, sleep, relationships, resilience to stress, self-esteem, mood, and empathy toward others? Say “thank you”! Research has shown that gratitude practice on a regular basis can measurably enhance our physical, psychological, and social well-being. By addressing others with words of appreciation, we help improve their well-being as well as our own, while lowering aggression and enhancing compassion.
A daily gratitude practice gives us access to positive emotions as it focusses our mind intentionally on the positive events and influences in our lives. It gives us a sense of control at a time of uncertainty. Whether you do it to improve your mental and physical health, or to foster deeper connection to others, gratitude and thanksgiving are psychological tools accessible to everyone. Choosing to adopt gratitude as a daily practice is a choice with no downsides.
By keeping a daily gratitude practice, we may shape our brain to focus on positive thoughts and emotions, thus reducing worries and breaking negative thought-patterns. This daily practice helps us be more present and live a more intentional life.
How can you turn Thanksgiving from one day in the year, to regular practice?
Send a text to someone to let them know you appreciate them.
Write a thank-you note.
Write a gratitude letter.
Start a gratitude journal.
Pause each day to appreciate a moment of peace.
Notice the present moment with thanks.
To create more profound benefits derived from a gratitude practice, make it a priority each day. Express gratitude for things big and small, recent and past, faraway and close by. “Thank you” – two simple words that have a transformative effect on our well-being. Encourage others to begin their healing journey of gratitude. Ask yourself and others close to you, “what are you grateful for in this moment”?
You can begin this simple daily practice, which can help improve your physical and mental health and the health of those around you, today.
Resources:
Morin, A. (2015, April 3). 7 scientifically proven benefits of gratitude. APA. https://www.apa.org/ed/precollege/topss/lessons/activities/activity-benefits-gratitude.pdf
How to Incorporate More Gratitude Into Your Life This Year | Psychology Today
