Every year at Thanksgiving dinner, my family has a tradition of going around the table and sharing something we are grateful for that happened in the past year. This has become my favorite part of Thanksgiving. Yes, the turkey and sweet potatoes are delicious, but there is something so special about having all my loved ones come together and practice gratitude.
The holiday season is a great reminder of all the things we should be thankful for in our daily lives but expressing our gratitude should not be limited to a one-day holiday. Gratitude is something we should be practicing in our daily lives all year round.
UCLA’s Mindfulness Awareness Research Center defines gratitude as the quality of being thankful and the readiness to show appreciation for things in your life. According to their research, expressing gratitude on a regular basis rewires the molecular structure of our brain and lights up our reward pathways. The levels of two of the main neurotransmitters in our brain that promote happiness, serotonin and dopamine also increase. Overall, this means that the regular practice of gratitude allows us to live a happier and healthier life.
Courtesy: Positive Psychology
I totally relate to you if you feel that gratitude is a broad and overwhelming concept that you’re not quite sure how to start implementing into your daily life. While all of us are certainly grateful for many things in our lives, it can be hard to sit down and actively think about the blessings we have. The good news is that the more you practice gratitude, the easier it gets. Due to the fact that gratitude increases dopamine levels in our brain, this extra dopamine production encourages you to keep seeking out this same feeling consistently. Therefore, the more you think about what you are grateful for, the more things you will find to be grateful for and the happier you will be every day.
We cannot achieve this level of happiness simply by showing thanks on Thanksgiving, although it is a great place to start. I encourage you to self-reflect while you’re eating your pumpkin pie and use the holiday as an opportunity to think about all of the things in your life you have to be thankful for. Whether you’re thankful to have a roof over your head, a great friend, a supportive significant other, or the ability to nourish yourself with yummy treats, these are all great things to show gratitude for. But don’t stop expressing your gratitude after Thanksgiving is over. Make it a challenge to yourself to take time each day to think about your blessings in life.
Here are some easy ways to implement gratitude into your daily life:
- Tell someone you love and appreciate them.
- SHOW someone you love and appreciate them.
- Smile!
- Keep a gratitude journal and write down something you were thankful for that day before you go to sleep.
- Put time and effort into your relationships.
- Say thank you and mean it.
- Try taking a yoga class and allow yourself time to reflect and recharge.
- Download a meditation app, such as Headspace, and do a five-minute meditation every morning.
- Hang up quotes and images around your room that remind you what you’re thankful for.
- Compliment friends, family and strangers.
- When things get hard, focus on the good.
Courtesy: Harbor Road
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by life, especially as college students, but daily gratitude practice is a perfect way to remember all of the great parts of our lives. Whether it’s Thanksgiving or a random day in July, there is always something to be grateful for.
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