Staying Positive and Grateful During the Holiday Season
Winter often brings excitement to our lives with the holiday spirit, yearly traditions and family gatherings. However, this time of year can also bring stress and anxiety for many. Stressors may include financial troubles, seasonal affective disorder, grief of a loved one, and more recently anxiety related to the pandemic. It is crucial to find positive coping mechanisms to assist you through hard times. Our counselors at Quintessential Health can help you handle difficult times with individual therapy, group therapy and family counseling. Another helpful coping skill to practice this season is gratitude!
Gratitude is acknowledging any aspect of your life that has contributed a positive impact. There are numerous mental health benefits to practicing gratitude in your daily life (Amin, 2014). These include:
● Increases overall positive emotions
● Helps us to appreciate others
● Promotes resilience for overcoming obstacles in life
● Improves interpersonal relationships
● Increases life satisfaction
How can you practice gratitude?
● Keep a Gratitude Journal Take time everyday to write down what you are grateful for. It could be as simple as writing a list of a few things that positively impacted your day. You could also go into more detail and write about why you are grateful for them. Making your gratitude journal a daily habit will help you to notice good things even on your bad days.
● Express your gratitude Tell someone why you are grateful for them. Either verbally or by writing them a letter, sharing what they mean to you is a great way to show someone you appreciate them.
● Pay it Forward Volunteer for a cause that matters to you, complete a random act of kindness or ask those around you if they need assistance with something. Putting a smile on others’ faces can help you to feel more optimistic about your own life.
● Meditate Quieting your mind with meditation can aid in combating stress. Completing a meditation that is specifically about gratitude will guide you to notice exactly what you are grateful for.
Along with these strategies, you can visit our social media pages to join our Gratitude Challenge or visit us on YouTube for a quick five minute gratitude meditation.
References
Amin, A. (2014). The 31 benefits of gratitude you didn’t know about: How gratitude can change your life. Happier Human. Retrieved from http://happierhuman.com/benefits-of-gratitude/