Even as the year is winding down and Thanksgiving is upon us, I thought we would take a little time to talk about gratitude. Gratitude is defined as the quality or feeling of being grateful or thankful. The holiday time can be wonderful for some, but it can also be devastating for others. By the time we get to this time of year, many are reflective of what happened in this year and oftentimes hopeful of what they would like to see happen in the next. Sometimes, if you have had some negative things happen, such as the loss of a loved one, or you have experienced an illness, your finances are not where you would like them, or something not so positive is happening or has happened with one of your family members or friends, it can be a stressful time. One of the ways we can combat that stress and sadness is cultivating an attitude of gratitude – finding something to be grateful for.
It has been proven in many studies that having gratitude has several benefits such as improved sleep quality, improved physical and psychological health, and improved self-esteem. Another great benefit is increased resilience – the ability to recover from difficult situations. And we all know very well that life can present us with some difficult situations. So, I just want to encourage you that if you are having a hard time around the holidays, and even if you aren’t, try finding something you are thankful for. Here are some practical suggestions to do that:
- Get a journal and take the time to write down three things you are grateful for that happened during your day when you are about to retire for the evening. You will go to sleep with something positive on your mind, and sleep quality is so very important. Do this for as long as it takes for your spirits to be lifted.
- Love on someone else and take the time to be a blessing to them and look out for their well-being. When we take the time to help others, we are often blessed ourselves. It has been scientifically proven that helping others triggers a release of oxytocin, the “love hormone” which counteracts depressive feelings and also combats the “stress hormone” cortisol.
- Express gratitude to others, whether it is for something little or something big. It will be a big boost all around for you, the giver, and the recipient as well.
- Spend quality time with people who build you up and whose company you enjoy, especially during the holidays. If you are separated by distance and you can’t spend time with them physically, call them or Skype or FaceTime them. You will definitely feel grateful that you have them in your life.
- Lastly, if you have a memento of something that you are grateful for, something that was so spectacular that it brings a smile across your face when you think about it, try putting it where you can see it. Recently, I was cleaning up and ran across one such something. I had been walking at a shopping plaza and unknowingly dropped my wallet. When I figured out what happened and went to retrieve it that same afternoon, it was already gone. After a couple days of worry, calling credit card companies, going to the police because everything was in there – license, credit cards, debit cards, and some Christmas money I had been given, I had done all I could do. Lo and behold, when my family and I got home from church on Sunday, someone (may God bless them) had put my name, address, and WALLET IN MAILBOX on a piece of paper on our doorstep. The wallet was in the mailbox, and not one thing was missing, and not one credit or debit card had been tampered with. So, I keep that slip of paper as a reminder of God’s faithfulness, and also to remind me that things may look crazy temporarily, but they will work out.
Hopefully, these are some tips that you can employ this holiday season if you need to. I wish you a prosperous, happy, healthy, bountiful, and stress-free Thanksgiving!