Thanksgiving Is About More Than Food IT’S ABOUT SHOWING GRATITUDE
As we prepare for our Thanksgiving feasts, Thursday night football games, and Black Friday shopping, take some time to show gratitude for those around you and for what you have. Here are a few ways to practice gratitude this month. Appreciate everything. Get into the habit of being grateful for the little things in your life. It can be easy to acknowledge the “big” things, but nothing is too small to be thankful for. You can be grateful the weather is nice and sunny, that you received the package you’ve been waiting for, or that you got out of bed today. Don’t leave out anything when practicing gratitude. Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present and aware of what’s happening around you. So, instead of being overwhelmed by what you need to do tomorrow or next week, focus on the present moment and enjoy the time you spend solo or with your loved ones. Live in the moment and take one
day at a time. Tomorrow will surely come, and you only have a limited amount of time in the present. Celebrate your challenges. Sometimes struggles and battles in our lives can weigh us down. But when you persevere and continue to push forward, you will find success. Challenges help you improve your abilities and resilience, so celebrate the progress you’ve made. Showing gratitude for challenges and negative experiences allows us to acknowledge humility and appreciate growth in our lives. Keep a journal. Writing down the things you’re grateful for will remind you of all the great things you have when other things aren’t going so well. So, keep a journal about what you’re grateful for each day or week — even if it’s just small things at first. Your perspective on life will change, and it will get easier to see the good things and to feel grateful for things you were likely overlooking.
Showing gratitude is something we should do every day, all
throughout the year — not just during the holidays. So, try to practice mindfulness and gratitude using these tips! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Back in the day, were you one of the students who seemed to always be in trouble for being chatty? Do you often find yourself lost in conversation on the phone for hours? Does your spouse comment that you talk too much? If so, embrace it, because it’s healthy and beneficial to your emotional well-being! 5 Benefits of Social Interaction With Others
cheerful. Being socially active helps to keep our spirits high and our thoughts positive.
Boosts Confidence Being social helps us feel more comfortable in our own shoes, and in turn, we have more
opportunities to find new friends and form lasting bonds with others. When we create these meaningful
relationships, our confidence soars.
On the flip side, if you tend to be quieter at get-togethers, it may be time to open up a bit and become more social. Here are some ways that frequent conversation and social interactions with others can benefit you. Keeps You Connected Chatting with others bridges the gap between people with different views, interests, ages, and cultures. It allows you to understand those around you better and positively expands upon your feeling of belonging. Prevents Depression Being under quarantine at the beginning of the pandemic was tough! Thankfully, technology helped us to stay connected, but many of us felt some effects of the lack of interaction with others — and they weren’t too
Gives You Something to Look Forward To Have you ever encountered something and thought, “I can’t wait to tell them about this”? You aren’t alone. A good conversation with a friend or loved one is one of the many simple joys in life. Exchanging experiences and stories is fun! Keeps You Mentally Stimulated Conversations fuel our imaginations. Talking with others keeps the wheels in our minds turning as we learn new information about each other and the world around us to remain sharp. Don’t ever bite your tongue or hesitate to carry out a conversation with another. There is no such thing as being too social or talkative. So, get lost in conversation — it’s healthy for you!
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