On Thanksgiving, many families will pause their feasts so that everyone gathered around the table can share something that they are thankful for - and many probably won't.
Maybe sharing gratitude has never been a part of your family’s Thanksgiving traditions. Or maybe the practice sounds a little corny or old fashioned. But expressing gratitude to loved ones and to ourselves can have a positive impact on Return on Life.
Here are three reasons why your family should make gratitude a part of your holiday celebrations.
Gratitude improves our health.
In an often-cited scientific study, psychologists divided people into three groups. One group was asked to write about positive things that had happened during the week that they were grateful for. The second group wrote about negative things. And the third wrote about neutral events. After 10 weeks, the group that had written positive reflections reported feeling more optimistic about their lives. They also reported increased exercise and less visits to doctors.
According to the American Heart Association, gratitude can also help to lower blood pressure, boost your immune system, and encourage healthy habits like eating better and quitting smoking.
And another group of researchers linked gratitude to better, longer sleep.
A common caveat in these studies is that it’s difficult for scientists to prove definitive cause and effect between, say, keeping a gratitude journal and lower blood pressure. And we’ve all known grumpy people who have lived long, if not happy, lives. But taken as a whole, the body of scientific research on gratitude shows that there is a connection between being grateful and feeling better that’s worth exploring, whether in your notebook or at the family dinner table.
Gratitude helps us embrace challenges.
On a recent podcast, ROL Advisor's Steve Sanduski talked to The Soul of Money author Lynne Twist about our tendency to feel like life is happening TO us. When challenges arise, this mindset can make us feel helpless and overwhelmed.
Instead, Twist argues that we should think about life happening FOR us. If we approach blessings and challenges alike from a place of gratitude, then every moment is an opportunity for us to grow, learn something new, or set better goals. That perspective can also help us to be more mindful of the wider world and explore ways to make a positive impact with our time, efforts, and money.
Gratitude strengthens our relationships.
As another holiday season rolls around, it can be easy to take for granted all the familiar faces gathered together, just like last year, and the year before.
But then life happens. And, for one reason or another, you find yourself at a Thanksgiving with a few more empty chairs than usual, and maybe a laptop at the table for long-distance video calls.
If your family isn't one that likes to share its feelings in a group setting, try to find a moment at the holidays to show your gratitude in a smaller, more personal way: an embrace, a kind word, a helping hand. These gestures have a way of spreading from person to person, lightening the mood and warming hearts.
And who knows? Maybe if everyone takes their seats feeling especially grateful for the company, the dinner conversation will steer clear of contentious topics and maintain that grateful spirit. A stronger sense of goodwill among your loved ones might even lead to more quality family time throughout the year, not just at the holidays.
Keeping your values aligned to your money is at the heart of our Life-Centered Planning process. As you look back upon this past year, what are you grateful for? Are you trying to cultivate a more grateful mindset as you head into the new year? Or has an experience of gratitude led to some new goals that you want to pursue? Let’s discuss how we can connect your money with the things that are most important to you.
