It’s November and Thanksgiving soon approaches! In such a season, many like to look back at their life and express thanks for any positive things they find in their life. Giving thanks, in this warm way, is a form of gratefulness. During this holiday season, people are reminded to be thankful and express their feelings gratefulness. 

Thanksgiving, as the name indicates, is a holiday for giving thanks. Families will often gather together, and express what they feel thankful for. Hence It’s the perfect time to think of gratefulness and how one may express it. 

It’s important to find a sense of appreciation for both the big things and small things, all the things that make our life what it is. With the unpredictability of life, one should find the time to be grateful for what one has. You never know when you’ll experience a loss, it’s best to have an appreciation for something or someone, while it’s still around. 

Researchers have conducted psychological studies, surrounding the effects that gratefulness can have on a person, in regards to feeling or expressing it. In the studies, researchers found positive results. Overall, the results indicated that the expression of gratefulness can be closely associated with the following: feeling positive, enjoying certain experiences, improvement in health, defeating life’s obstacles, and creating strong and lasting relationships with others. Grateful people tend to possess a keen awareness of oneself as well as the attitudes they display to others. They tend to take care of themselves, which improves both physical and mental health. 

Because of these benefits, people who often express gratitude tend to feel happier! Depression prevails among adolescents and adults. Therefore, more people should attempt to express gratefulness. Though it’s no sure cure and doesn’t work for everyone, people should try and see if they feel the effects associated with gratefulness. It doesn’t hurt to try, and it’s quite easy! 

To put the expression of gratefulness into practice, you should consider taking time for yourself, in a quiet place, to think about what you are grateful for. Try to take everything into consideration. Not sure what you can be thankful for? It’s not hard to find! You can be thankful for anything, for example, people (i.e. friends and family), pets, your home, food, etc. Anything you’re glad to have a part of your life, in the present or past.  

 After you have evaluated the objects of your appreciation, you should then think about why you deem them important. The expression of gratitude can then be expressed in a variety of ways. You can say it aloud, tell others about it—your friends or family. You can write it down, maybe start a journal. Or you can simply keep it to yourself, find what you’re grateful for and simply keep it in mind. 

One Pitman senior, readily knew what she was grateful for, “I am grateful for my family and friends because I know I can always count on them and they’ll always be by my side.” 

The benefits of gratefulness indicate that it’s a worthwhile practice for both the body and mind. This holiday season, you should try it.