With the Thanksgiving holiday approaching, it is a great time of year to practice thankfulness. While the holiday tradition began as a celebration of giving thanks, it can be easy to overlook in the hustle and bustle of food, football, parades, traveling, and celebrating with family and friends. Thankfulness can also be challenging to maintain when you are enduring loss, disease, relationship issues, financial hardships, or other stressful situations. However, practicing thankfulness can positively impact your mood and your overall health. Not to mention it can help you through your challenges and build positive relationships. So instead of putting off your thankfulness to another day or waiting for Thanksgiving, you can start right now with these 5 ways:
- Appreciate everything, don’t be picky. Start by looking around and evaluating all you have and what you are thankful for. It can be as simple as the meal in front of you.
- Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Each person has their own walk in life and being thankful for you and what you have will keep you content in life.
- Make positive statements. Telling yourself positive things will boost your mood and help you to have positive thoughts.
- Set aside time to process your feelings. Don’t bottle everything up or put aside your thoughts and feelings. Start by recognizing how you are feeling and this can lead you to a place of thankfulness.
- Help out someone else. Helping another person is gratifying and can make you thankful for what you have.
Enjoy your Thanksgiving season this year and spread thankfulness to those around you!
