Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and you know what that means: good food, time spent well with loved ones, and people expressing thanks for various aspects of their lives. Maybe you have a tradition at Thanksgiving where everyone goes around in a circle saying one thing they’re thankful for. Perhaps you have a different tradition where you thank the hands that prepared the Thanksgiving feast instead. While it might feel tempting to put up your Christmas tree and blast Trans-Siberian Orchestra hits from the radio now, the sentiment of Thanksgiving deserves equal attention, if not more, than the many holidays that follow (IMHO). Here are four ways that you can exercise gratitude in your daily life, because why just be thankful on Thanksgiving?
- KEEP A GRATITUDE JOURNAL
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I have had a gratitude journal since I was in middle school, and I still have not completed it! A gratitude journal is exactly what it sounds like: A journal where you write about the things you are grateful for. I tend to write three things a day that I am thankful for and try to repeat items as infrequently as possible. If you have a spare journal lying around, you can transform it into your gratitude journal by simply jotting down some things you are grateful for each day. If you’d prefer some prompts in your journal to help you get inspired, that’s okay too. These kinds of journals are pretty accessible in stores and online.
- TAKE A WALK OUTSIDE
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For the past year, I’ve started walking to campus instead of taking my apartment’s shuttle. While on the hotter Florida days it proves to be tiresome, I find that it’s been lovely on the more recent cooler, autumn days. I’m able to take in the scenery around me while staying alert to the passing cars and pedestrians. On one of my walks to campus, I actually saw a deer! More often than not, though, I end up calling a family member or friend to catch up. I encourage you to take as many walks outside as you can and pause to appreciate the world around you — who knows what you may find!
- CHECK IN WITH SOMEONE YOU LOVE
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On that note, calling or texting a different loved one every day to check in can also help exercise gratitude for the people in your life. Everyone appreciates a simple “Hey, I’m thinking of you, how have you been?” text message, and they take no more than a minute to send. If you aren’t pressed for time, feel free to call one (or many) of your loved ones instead; it is always appreciated.
- EXERCISE RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
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World Kindness Day did surpass us on Nov. 13, but don’t let that stop you from continuing to be kind to yourself and others! Exercise gratitude for your strength, perseverance, and resilience as you finish up the semester by taking care of yourself, whether that’s through buying a sweet treat, lighting a candle, listening to music, meditating, etc. Exercise gratitude for the others in your life, too, by being kind; a little bit of kindness goes a long way. Buy flowers for a loved one, give heartfelt compliments, tell someone you love that you love them—the possibilities are endless.
As the holiday season approaches, I encourage you to be kind to yourself and others and exercise gratitude in as many ways as possible. There are a lot of things to fret about, but there are also many things to be happy about and to be thankful for. Especially as the year comes to a close, take a moment to pause and reflect on the small blessings in your life!