30 Days of Gratitude
November often marks the beginning of the holiday season, as we begin planning for Thanksgiving. Giving thanks is one of the oldest concepts in society, found at the core of most wisdom traditions and religions. For example, in Judaism, the first books of the Old Testament (Torah) describe thanksgiving offerings. In Christianity, the Eucharist means “thanksgiving,” with bread and wine serving as symbols of gratitude (Fishman, 2020). The secular holiday of Thanksgiving is also centered on gratitude.
Robert Emmons, psychologist and expert on gratitude, defines gratitude as recognizing the goodness in our lives (Emmons, 2010). When we are grateful, we appreciate both the action and the intention behind the effort given on our behalf. Before COVID, we could express gratitude in a variety of ways. For example, we could offer a handshake or high-five, hug, or express appreciation in person or writing. Today, we have adapted our expressions of gratitude, such as using emojis on zoom, a retweet, emails, texts, phone calls, or social media posts.
Research shows that expressing gratitude is beneficial to the other person as well as to ourselves. A grateful perspective is critical to sustaining a positive mindset to energize, heal, and bring hope. Decades of research demonstrate that positive emotions, including gratitude, are essential to our physical and mental health (Seligman, 2011). In fact, future blogs will share recent research related to the benefits of appreciation during the COVID era.
30-Day Gratitude Challenge Starts Today
Gratitude is a simple and effective mindfulness practice that can help us cope with anxiety and uncertainty, by focusing on what is important and good in our lives. Leading a more grateful life isn’t just remembering to say “thank you” more. It is a learnable skill that improves with practice. A proven way to do this is to begin a gratitude journal. During November, I challenge you to start a daily gratitude habit - for 30 days. Here are some tips on how to begin.
Set aside a specific time of day that works for you. You might even set a reminder on your phone to help you remember.
Select a journal that works for you. Some of us love to find a paper-bound journal where we can make notes; others like the idea of making notes on our calendars. And many find that creating a gratitude jar, where they can put their thoughts of gratitude each day, is helpful. See the exercise below for how to begin.
Be as specific as possible in expressing gratitude. When we specifically articulate why we are grateful, it is not just more meaningful to others, it enhances our feelings of appreciation by making it more memorable.
See good things as “gifts.” When we think of good things as “gifts”, it prevents us from taking them for granted.
Add variety. If you find yourself writing about the same thing or the same person, try to zero in on a different aspect of your gratitude. Changing things up will help prevent falling into a mindless, meaningless habit that misses the whole point.
Follow our “30-Day Gratitude Challenge” on social media. If you would like to receive daily “nudges” or prompts for your gratitude practice, follow us on Facebook or Instagram. Plus, when you tag a friend or comment this month, you’ll have a chance to win some wonderful prizes each week. So, check us out on social media today!
Let me end this blog by saying that we are grateful to you for spending time reading and engaging with our work. You keep us going and we hope we are helping you live better.
References
Emmons, R.A. (2010)Why gratitude is good. Greater Good Magazine. Retrieved from https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_gratitude_is_good.
Fishman, M. D. (2020). The silver linings journal: Gratitude during a pandemic. Journal of Radiology Nursing, 39(3), 149.