Next week is Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday because it always makes me feel re-energized and resilient. I call it the resilience holiday because it focuses on one of the most effective ways to increase resilience - expressing gratitude.
There is a growing body of research on how gratitude improves our wellbeing and resilience, and luckily, gratitude is a social skill that can be cultivated and enhanced. For authentic appreciation, strive to go beyond praise (good job!) and focus on the details and reasons why you are thankful (your contribution saved me hours of work).
Unfortunately, many of us focus on gratitude only at Thanksgiving, thinking back over a full year to find what we appreciate the most. In addition to expressing thanks and gratitude this Thanksgiving, commit to incorporating gratitude into your daily life.
Here are some ways you can ensure you are grateful every day and not just on Thanksgiving:
Write Appreciation Letters
Buy thank you cards in bulk and make a habit of writing appreciation letters to people in your life to whom you are grateful. Start with writing one card per week. Express your enjoyment and appreciation of that person's impact on your life. Once in a while, write one to yourself.
Thank Someone Mentally
If you don't have time to write a thank-you note, think about someone who has done something for you. Explore why you are grateful and mentally thank the individual.
Keep a Gratitude Journal
Before going to sleep, write down three things about your day for which you are grateful. Be specific and think about the emotions you felt when something good happened to you.
Pray
If you are religious, use prayer to cultivate gratitude. Even if you're not religious, think about developing a daily practice of giving thanks.
Meditate
When you meditate, you focus on the present moment without judgment. Although people often focus on a word or phrase (such as peace or compassion), you can also focus on what you're grateful for at the moment.
What do you do to cultivate gratitude?
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