Thanksgiving’s Secret Ingredient: Pass the Gratitude, Hold the Generalities

As Thanksgiving approaches, it gently reminds us of the benefits of gratitude – increased well-being, resilience, and optimism to name a few. And if you stress over the details of that day like I do, you may need an extra helping of gratitude this holiday season. So, to get the most bang for your gratitude buck, my advice is: get specific.

Studies have shown that the more specific your gratitude, the more benefits you’ll reap. You can put this into practice by naming one thing you are grateful for, then listing three to five specific reasons why.

For example, instead of “I’m grateful for my family,” try recalling the sound of your 1-year-old nephew’s giggle as you tossed him into the air this weekend, the joy you felt when your partner surprised you by cooking dinner Tuesday night, and the way your sweet pup greets you when you get home from work. Sharing specifics like this would make a much better Thanksgiving table tradition this year!

Beyond Thanksgiving, here are a few ways to work in those gratitude specifics throughout the year:

1. Schedule it: I put a recurring 15-minute time block on my calendar every Thursday. Sometimes I write a thank-you note. Sometimes I take a short gratitude walk. Sometimes I visit the CHART Ask My Peers site and post or answer a question. Gratitude is the perfect brain break during a busy week.
2. Record it: There are so many gratitude boosting resources out there, it’s overwhelming! I love the hope that comes with a fresh gratitude journal, but truthfully, I struggle to keep it up. Instead, I turn to simpler resources. I recently found the FREE app “3 Good Things” that gives you a daily prompt to share what went well today and gamifies it with a streak score. When the urge to scroll hits, revisiting your gratitude list beats social media every time.

Everything you do for CHART – posting on Ask My Peers, writing an article, attending a webinar, RTF, or conference – is an act of specific gratitude in its own way. Thank you for showing up for our community. I’m truly grateful for YOU.