Holiday Gratitude

As students and their families look forward to upcoming winter holiday break, it’s clear that 2020 has been unlike anything we have experienced in our lifetimes. Many of us are probably wondering what 2021 might bring.

This past year, most of us have had to adjust to drastically new routines and habits amidst a pandemic. Health officials continue to advise caution, including reduced in person contact, during a time when many of us have routinely spent these breaks gathering together. In the past, we may have hosted extended family in our homes or traveled afar to reconnect. Now, many of us are forced to reinvent.

Given that we are coming out of such a challenging year and may sometimes worry about what is ahead, the holiday break may be a great time for families to start or keep building on a gratitude practice (gratitude means giving thanks or appreciation). In recent years, the fields of positive psychology and medicine have both connected gratitude to potential benefits in body and mind. Facing a pandemic has called on us all to be resilient, so why not try gratitude?

Gratitude has been consistently connected with reports of greater happiness. Examples include expressing positive emotions, relishing good experiences, improving health, dealing with adversity, and building relationships.

In one 10 week study, for instance, a group assigned to write about gratitude reported feeling more optimistic, exercising more, and going to fewer medical visits. 

Further, from a physical standpoint, some studies have even found that practicing gratitude may positively affect the brain’s responses. Engaging in gratitude appears to correspond to the release of “dopamine,” a neurotransmitter signaling pleasurable experiences in our brains as well as the release of “serotonin,” a mood regulating chemical in our nervous system. While a study earlier this year expressed doubts about gratitude’s ability to reduce anxiety and depression, the study’s co-author still emphasized that gratitude may yet have value. 

Here  are some ideas to try:

• Family chalkboard or whiteboard – Set aside a space for family members to write their gratitude. Examples: Dad, thank you for making that amazing dessert! ….Grateful for our family game night. Even young children can participate with a little help or draw pictures of gratitude if they are still learning to spell.
• Gratitude Flower – On a large posterboard, draw a daisy flower shape. Cut out the shapes of flower petals using separate construction or plain paper. Let each family member decorate with their thoughts (or pictures) of gratitude. Glue or tape each petal on to the flower.

We’ve provided a video below to demonstrate these and some other simple ideas to incorporate gratitude into your upcoming break and beyond.

Thank you for being part of our CASSY community!

Sources:

Mozes, Alan. “Is the ‘Gratitude Movement’ Overrated? Study Finds It Has Limits.” U.S. News & World Report, U.S. News & World Report, www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2020-03-17/is-the-gratitude-movement-overrated-study-finds-it-has-limits.

Publishing, Harvard Health. “In Praise of Gratitude.” Harvard Health, 5 June 2019, www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/in-praise-of-gratitude.