As a picky eater, my favorite Thanksgiving leftover isn’t Stovetop stuffing or crescent rolls. Instead, it is something I find myself constantly feeling this time of year: gratitude.
By taking a few moments this Thanksgiving — gratitude’s main event — to pay attention to and count your blessings (some days are harder than others), most will find that gratitude will stick around for a lot longer than turkey and mashed potatoes ever do, especially in my house, where leftovers last two days max.
Gratitude is the elite Thanksgiving by-product, and it’s scientifically proven to leave you feeling good — a counter to the slightly sickening food coma that sets in after the third plate and second piece of pie. According to UCLA Health, our brains are rewarded with dopamine when expressing gratitude, eliciting feelings of joy and contentment. Those who regularly practice gratitude experience benefits ranging from less anxiety and stress to better sleep and cardiovascular health. So, before the holiday gratitude glow fades, here are four ways to carry that feeling with you beyond the winter break.
- SAY THANK YOU TO YOUR BODY
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We spend so much time being hard on ourselves, especially as high-achieving college students, underestimating how badly we might need a break or just a moment to recognize that our amazing body pulls us through every moment of every day. Say thank you to your body by choosing rest and nourishment over endless hustle. Any form of self-care will do as long as it’s intentional: move your body, eat something delicious, take a comfy nap, treat your skin to a face mask. Show up for yourself in any big or small way that honors your body and all its hard work.
- MAKE A LIST OF ALL THE SMALL (BUT POSITIVE) THINGS
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Goal pursuit can be exhausting, and the many stressors of daily life can blur your focus. A lot of us have passions that drive us to pursue a particular career path or activity, and sometimes the barrage of competing workloads in and out of class can make it easy to forget why our original plan mattered to us in the first place.
One way to reconnect with your goals is to write a list of reasons why this path is important to you. Taking the time to specifically put your intentions and blessings into words and then write them down heightens the comprehensive experience of gratitude so that we get to enjoy the positive feelings for an extended period of time. This can help us remember our authentic motivations for what we are chasing.
- KEEP IT IN MIND WHILE SHOPPING
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Let the gratitude carry over into the gift-giving season. Whether on the giving or receiving end, exchanging gifts tends to increase brain activity in areas associated with reward and social pleasure, according to the National Library of Medicine. The more you tune into gratitude and choose gifts for friends and family with intention, the more considerate your gifts will be. Thoughtful gift-giving strengthens relationships and lets others know that you truly acknowledge and care for them.
- MAKE A RESOLUTION FOR 364-DAY GRATITUDE
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New Year’s Day 2026 is just a few short weeks away, heralding our hopeful resolutions for the year to come. Consider your New Year’s resolution this year with care, and pick ones that genuinely have a good chance at sticking around. Rather than unrealistically pledging that you’ll be able to go a whole year without eating an Oreo or cheeseburger, or to suddenly transform into a gym junkie, maybe try something kinder or more realistic. I recommend practicing thankfulness and gratitude as a new habit for 2026. Oprah Winfrey, a big fan of this practice, says, “Being mindful is like generously filling up our happiness bank account where it can earn higher interest with each deposit we make.”
What’s one thing you’re grateful for right now, at this very moment?
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