The morning of Thanksgiving always has a very particular energy. It’s anticipatory and tender, there’s a little magic in the air. No matter how we celebrate, or with whom, Thanksgiving is a day that slows us down and invites us to reflect on our lives, our year, and all the things we are grateful for—and we all love the idea of gratitude, don’t we? It’s become a bit of a cultural buzzword and can be found on everything from coffee mugs, to t-shirts, to throw pillows, and beyond. On Thanksgiving, it’s the word on everyone’s lips.
But let’s be honest. What’s actually happening for many of us on Thanksgiving morning?
We’re not present. We’re already planning oven times, cleaning the house, negotiating seating arrangements, wondering how to limit the kids running through the kitchen. Ping! Oh, there’s a text message from relatives asking about parking, then those last-minute grocery runs, and the looming dread of whatever family dynamic is already threatening to ignite. Or. Maybe your Thanksgiving is lonely, perhaps this is the first holiday after the loss of a loved one, maybe this is a holiday you’re choosing to spend with friends instead of family. Whatever the case may be, gratitude might feel more decorative than it does available for some of us.
And that’s okay. No matter where you find yourself this Thanksgiving morning, there is a way to guarantee that your day unfolds with the kind of gratitude that lasts much longer than 24 hours. This gratitude practice is a favorite of mine, it only takes about five minutes but has the potential to transform your entire day.
Step One
Right when you wake up, literally while you’re still in your bed before your feet ever touch the floor, name three things you’re grateful for right now. Stay away from what you think you should be grateful for, choose things that really fill you with that sense of gratitude.
Step Two
Put one hand on your heart, another on your belly. Take three deep breaths and imagine that feeling of gratitude expanding. Notice anything else that naturally comes to mind as you imagine this gratitude filling you up and overflowing into the room.
Step Three
From this place of abundant gratitude, set an intention for your day. Something like “Today I will lead with appreciation. I choose to see the Light all around me and in everyone.”
This simple action, taken first thing in the morning, might seem like a nice way to start the day but I’m willing to bet it can change your entire experience—no matter how chaotic. We tend to think of gratitude as a concept or something lofty and lovely that we’ll get to later, maybe once the turkey is in the oven or if everything goes right. But science shows us something different.
Studies from basically everywhere from UC Davis to Harvard reveal that gratitude lights up the prefrontal cortex—your brain’s center for emotional regulation, decision-making, and perspective-taking. It also triggers the release of dopamine and serotonin, the chemicals responsible for joy, calm, and wellbeing. A single moment of morning gratitude has been shown to move the nervous system out of stress-response mode and into parasympathetic dominance, the state where you can digest, connect, and feel grounded.
Gratitude creates a psychological shift in our brains which means we’re better able to perspective shift. When we shift our perspective, we shift our consciousness. When our consciousness is in the right place, we experience the highest expressions of ourselves, of others, and the world around us. With the right consciousness, we can create the most positive experience of nearly anything.
Imagine entering a family gathering from that place instead of from adrenaline, frustration, or overwhelm. Imagine greeting people with openness instead of bracing or staying small. Imagine responding instead of reacting. Imagine feeling nourished rather than depleted at the end of the day.
This is what five minutes of morning gratitude makes possible. Let the very first thing you do this Thanksgiving morning be to give true thanks for all of the blessings in your life right now. Then, watch as the day introduces more to be thankful for—no matter how the events unfold or how others behave. Just like any other holiday—and really any other day of the year—the meaning it holds is the meaning we choose to give it.
No comments:
Post a Comment