Gratitude Practices to Start This ThanskGiving and Holiday Season and Beyond 

Thanksgiving is so much more than indulging in your favorite Thanksgiving foods, whether Turkey, mashed potatoes, or pumpkin pie. It is so much more than seeing family you haven’t seen all year round. 

While food and gathering are essential parts of Thanksgiving and admittedly the reason most of us look forward to it, gratitude is equally important. It is, in fact, in the name. Thanksgiving is the perfect time and opportunity to reflect on everything in your life and express gratitude. 

However, I firmly believe one day of gratitude is not enough to develop an appreciation of just how much gratitude can change your life. Gratitude should be a daily practice this holiday season and beyond. 

You must develop gratitude practices that you can implement this Thanksgiving and holiday season, but most importantly, every day after the holiday season. 

Why Gratitude Matters

Gratitude is constantly and strongly associated with happiness. A multitude of research shows that gratitude is linked to more positive emotions, optimism, and happiness.  

11 Gratitude Practices to Start this Thanksgiving

1. Morning Journal Rituals 

Writing about gratitude in the morning can set a positive tone for the rest of your day. You can set 5-10 minutes in the morning and write down 3-10 things you are grateful for.

You can start this ritual this Thanksgiving season and practice it throughout the holiday season well into the new year. Remember, we want to make these practices part of our daily routine, not just for the holiday season. 

Here are a few gratitude journal prompts to get you started.

2. Gratitude Affirmations 

While we all look forward to Thanksgiving and the holiday season, it can be a stressful and anxious time. The planning, shopping, cooking, and complicated family relationships can make the holiday season pretty stressful.

Gratitude affirmations are one practice you can start that will help you deal with all that during the Holidays and beyond. 

Gratitude affirmations are positive affirmations centered around gratitude. Repeating gratitude affirmations daily can shift your perspective. Basically, gratitude affirmations allow you to focus on gratitude and, by extension, positive thinking, positive emotions, and optimism.

All these feelings will make the holiday season a breeze. And if you keep practicing beyond the holiday season, you will make more positive changes in your life. 

3. Mindful Morning Routine

Practicing gratitude doesn’t have to be complicated. You don’t have to overthink it. You can weave gratitude into your mindful morning routine. Express gratitude for your steaming cup of coffee or when you meditate.  

4. Start a Gratitude Jar Tradition.

Thanksgiving and the holiday season are the perfect times to start a gratitude jar tradition. This can be on a personal or family level. Each member can write things they are grateful for and put them in a jar. You can keep filling the jar well before and on Thanksgiving. You can then read these notes at Thanksgiving dinner. 

This doesn’t need to be just a Thanksgiving practice. You can create a tradition where your family keeps dropping notes throughout the holiday season and reads them out on Christmas or New Year’s. It can even be something you do once a month, holidays or not. 

5. Write Thank You Letters to People Who Have Made a Difference in Your Life. 

Sometimes, we focus on ourselves and forget all the people who have made a difference in our lives. Gratitude is often bigger than ourselves. Just think about it: would you have a fulfilling life without interacting with the people in your life?

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to write personal letters to your friends, family, neighbors, mentors, and even your favorite barista. In the letter express your appreciation for all the wholesome contributions they make in your life and appreciate them for who they are and what you love about them. 

For people you cannot meet in person, use video calls, send appreciative texts, or give them a shoutout on your preferred social media platform with the usual #thankful and #blessed. 

Remember to make this a habit that extends beyond Thanksgiving. For instance, remember to thank your family and friends for Christmas and New Year’s gifts. And once in a while, appreciate your family and friends just because. 

6. Take Gratitude Pauses and Gratitude Breaths 

As we have mentioned, Thanksgiving and the holiday season can be stressful. For whatever reason, a season that is supposed to be filled with celebration and happiness can be very anxious for some.

If you feel like that, remember to take gratitude pauses and breaths. Just pause for a minute and appreciate one good thing in that sea of frustration. 

This doesn’t have to apply just to the holiday season. It can be something you do whenever you feel overwhelmed. Is work feeling stressful? Are toddlers acting up? Take a gratitude pause and breathe. 

7. Cook and Share the Meal with Gratitude

The holiday season, particularly Thanksgiving, is often about cooking and sharing meals with family and friends. Don’t let anxiety and pressure to entertain get to you. Practice mindful cooking.

Get immersed in all the chopping, stirring, and baking. Endeavor to genuinely enjoy the process. Involve family members and friends to make cooking more fun.

For kids, getting involved in cooking will make the holiday more memorable, not to mention the skills they acquire.

At dinner, whether Thanksgiving or New Year’s, everyone can give a toast and mention some things they are grateful for. 

8. Create a Gratitude Tablecloth or Runner. 

The holiday season is also a good time for some creative DIY that you can use to decorate your home. One wholesome thing you can do is create a gratitude tablecloth or runner.

Family members can use a fabric marker to list one or two things they are grateful for and then sign and date. You can make this a Thanksgiving tradition and a gratitude practice that every family member appreciates. 

9. Reflection before Bed

Reflection journaling is a pretty popular way of journaling at the end of the day. This holiday season is the perfect time to start an end-of-day reflection journaling centered around gratitude.

Reflect on how your day went and appreciate all the good things that happened and the people who made it happen. This is something that you can do every day, not just Thanksgiving. Make it a habit. Reflect on your day and list all the things you are grateful for.  

10. Mindful Gifting 

One of the most popular and beloved traditions associated with the Holidays is gift-giving. This season, practice mindful gifting, from gifting to receiving.

Mindful gifting will allow you to shift from materialism to meaningful connection. Try to find gifts that reflect that person’s personality and lifestyle. Don’t go for the most expensive item for vanity; go for something that genuinely appeals to the person receiving it. 

Similarly, remember to be appreciative of the gifts you receive. I realize consumerism and materialism are big parts of gifting, and most of us tend to judge gifts by their price tags. That shouldn’t be the case. Appreciate all the gifts you get by focusing on the meaningful connection that gift represents. 

11. Implement these Gratitude Practices beyond Thanksgiving

Like I said, I believe gratitude should not be a one-day thing. It is a habit you should practice every day to enjoy all its benefits.

Everything I have mentioned above can be daily practices that will encourage you to focus on positive things in your life. Get our 30-day gratitude challenge, which will transform your holiday season, and make sure you start the next year with a grateful heart. 

Conclusion

Gratitude offers a multitude of benefits for well-being, including increased optimism, reduced stress and anxiety, better physical health, and improved relationships.

Thanksgiving and this holiday season are the perfect time to start practicing gratitude and experiencing its benefits. Try our 30-day gratitude challenge this holiday season and decide if it is something you’d like to make a non-negotiable. I am confident by New Year’s, practicing gratitude will be one of your resolutions.