From Thanksgiving to Christmas, the holiday season is a time when we get together with friends and family, eat delicious food, give and receive gifts, and most importantly, express our gratitude for everything we have to be thankful for.Like a muscle, showing our gratitude for thingsIt gets easier the more we do it.We have a few activities or approaches you might want to try this holiday season (or any time of year) if you're a little rusty when it comes to saying thank you or just looking for a new way to express your feelings of gratitude.
Speaking of gratitude It's Christmas morning or Hanukkah evening, and you're excited to open presents.But how do you convey your gratitude to the person who gave you the gift?Perhaps you are at a loss for words.We can likewise battle to communicate our appreciation when somebody helps us out or helps us out with a troublesome errand.To assist with making these discussions somewhat simpler, give one of these sentence starters a shot for size:
I appreciate the [object].The [detail about object] is my favorite.
I appreciate the new sweater.I adore the shade of crimson.
Because of [quality or character trait], I appreciate you.
I value you since you got some margin to track down my number one treats.
When you did [action description], it meant a lot to me.
Your assistance with my move last week meant a lot to me.
At the point when you [did x], it caused me to feel [emotion].
I felt supported when you helped me clean the kitchen.
During Thanksgiving, many families enjoy going around the table to talk about what they are thankful for.Sincerely, doing this at any time of year can be beneficial.You can play a Gratitude Game to make this activity a little bit more interactive.A bowl of M&Ms is all you need.After each person takes one M&M from the bowl, you each share one of the following items based on the color you selected:
Brown:Yellow: Someone for whom you are grateful.Something for which you are thankful Green:You are thankful for Red somewhere:Anything that begins with the letter Orange and for which you are grateful:Blue, a food for which you are grateful:An enriching experience You can perform as many rounds as you like!We've included the game's instructions and a printable version to make it easier to play.You can also eat the M&Ms at the end, which is a bonus.)
Gratitude acrostic There are times when the people in our lives are just so wonderful that we want to tell them how much we value many aspects of them.An acrostic poem is one way to accomplish this.A poem called an acrostic uses the first letter of each line to spell out a particular word or phrase.You can perform a gratitude acrostic with each letter of the person's first name and a list of adjectives you use to describe them in this situation.A gratitude acrostic for John, for instance, might look like this:
Judicious, Helpful, and Nice This can be done on its own or as part of a thank-you card (more on those below).
Scavenger hunt for gratitude This activity can be especially enjoyable for children.You can use our printable gratitude scavenger hunt here or make a list of things to look for.Have each participant photograph the items on the list that meet their criteria.You can print the pictures and use them to create a collage of all the things you are grateful for if you want to be more ambitious.You determine the prize for first place.
Include the following items in your scavenger hunt:
Find something you enjoy doing.
Find something with a pleasant aroma.
Choose something that tastes good.
Choose something that has a pleasing sound.
Choose something that brings back memories of your friends.
Find a hobby that you enjoy doing outside.
Track down something that shocks you.
Find something that you and others can benefit from.
Choose something in a color that you like.
Find something that can bring a smile to someone else's face.
Find something that makes you happy.
Find a morning activity that you enjoy.
Find a nighttime activity you enjoy.
You should look for something funny.
Look for something beautiful.
Look for something that excites you.
Gratitude walk We should be grateful for more than just things and people.Developing a sense of gratitude for the natural world is also beneficial.Going on a "Gratitude Walk" is one way to accomplish this.
Take a stroll through the park or the woods.Gather little tokens of the aspects of nature for which you are grateful along the way, such asleaves, acorns, and pine conesYou could also choose to draw or take a picture of these things instead.You can make a small display of your possessions or pictures when you get back to your house to remind yourself of the things in nature for which we should be grateful.
When you go for a walk with older children or adults, you can show your appreciation for nature by cleaning up after yourself.Pick up trash as you go and use trash bags and gloves.As a means of expressing your gratitude, you are contributing to the environment in this manner.
Meditation on gratitude Sometimes, it can be hard to slow down and remember to think of all the things you have to be grateful for when life is so busy.A gratitude meditation is one way to think about all the things for which you should be grateful.You don't have to be a seasoned meditator to participate in this activity;You only need about ten minutes and the desire to try it.
In a quiet location, get into a comfortable seated or lying position.Play some calming music while you meditate if you think it will help you concentrate.
Take a couple of profound midsection breaths by breathing profoundly as far as possible into your stomach.
Make a picture of a person or thing you are grateful for and all of its characteristics.For instance, what does it look like, sound like, make you feel, etc.?Be as specific as you possibly can.
Repeat the visualization by listing three to five things for which you are thankful (or as many as you can think of).
Writing thank-you cards can be time-consuming and challenging.When you have a lot of short pieces to write, it can feel overwhelming and repetitive for such a short piece.But don't think too much about it.When it comes to thank-you cards, the thought really does matter.They need not be too long.Writing a heartfelt, brief, and succinct thank-you note is essential.
Beginning with "Dear [Name],"
Say something like, "It was very thoughtful of you to give me such a lovely gift." as a compliment.
Say something specific about the present, like, "The tea cozy you got me was adorable," as a follow-up.
Use a sign that says "Many thanks" to say "thank you."You might want to add something like "and happy holidays!" for the holiday season.
Obviously, you can use pre-made thank-you cards, but if you're really creative, you might make your own.Again, it is the thought that matters, not the outcome.Children's requests for this option are especially welcome.
Check out our article "4 Tips on How to Write a Thank-You Card" for more information on how to write and send a good thank-you card.A guide on how to write thoughtful letters to parents and teachers that are appropriate for any time of year and how to express gratitude to teachers are also included.
During this or any other time of the year, we could all get into the habit of expressing gratitude more frequently and with greater sincerity.Ideally, one or these appreciation exercises will assist with making your vacation season somewhat more smart.
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