It’s that time of year again – time for posting family portraits and pictures with friends giving thanks to all the wonderful people who make your life so #blessed.
For me, I never know what to post on Thanksgiving. I want to include all of my family and close friends. But I have a large family and want to be inclusive of all my friends so it seems impossible to fit everyone and everything I have to say into one caption. Last year, before the life saving Instagram slideshow feature, I finally decided on a classic family picture (shown below). It was unoriginally captioned: “I am thankful for my family.” (Though, I soon after logged into my alternate private account and posted an entirely different photo claiming to be most thankful for my cat.)
If you can relate, I have a solution:
Giving thanks outside of social media. Yes, this requires a little (or a lot) more time and effort. But it is well worth properly thanking your people. Not only will it bring joy to their lives, but being grateful can also improve your own.
Researchers Wong and Brown (2017) found that not only does expressing gratitude improve the happiness of mentally healthy individuals, but also improves happiness of students struggling with depression and anxiety (these results were still true 12 weeks after the gratitude exercise ended!).
So here are some ideas not just to use this Thanksgiving, but to utilize throughout the year.
Have money and time?
- DIY arts and crafts time! Supplying the materials to make friendship bracelets or matching painted shirts with your besties.
- Create and send a care package for a friend. After hearing my bestie from back home was missing her favorite tea and almost out of popcorn I put together a small package and homemade card. Listening to and remembering what somebody wants, needs, or likes is a small way of showing you care.
- Make and order a memory photobook or make a scrapbook of your times together. Nothing like looking through old photos to remember why you love someone.
- Take them out to dinner or for a coffee – your treat.
- Order an edible arrangement to be sent to their address.
- Pay it forward. Whether it’s paying for a stranger’s drink at Starbucks or leaving a penny heads up at a playground – it’s easy to put a smile on somebody else’s face.
Have time but no money?
- Help out around the house. Gratitude for a parent increases exponentially after trading places for a day. Prepare meals, wash dishes, do laundry, clean – picking up some chores will lighten their plate. Even better if you offer them the day off to enjoy it however they like.
- Make homemade cards, letters, or postcards. Including a heartfelt poem or colorful drawing is free yet appreciated. Bonus points if you make enough to send them intermittently throughout the year “just because”.
- Give back to the community – volunteer! Can be done alone or with family/friends.
- Call, text, or video chat. There are people who miss you. Show them that you miss them too. Also, this is a great opportunity to hear what’s going on in their near futures. Keep track of when things are happening and shoot a quick “good luck!” when relevant.
- Spend time with siblings. Play catch. Go to the park. Learn magic tricks together. Go window shopping and take turns trying on fancy outfits. The possibilities are endless.
“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” ~William Arthur Ward
Every day of the year is a good day to give thanks. I believe that living with gratitude is the key to being happy. It replaces expectation and disappointment with love and selflessness. Whether you’re a commuter currently living at home or an international student whose home is a country away, you can never have too much appreciation for those you love.