As October comes to a close and we pack away our Halloweekend outfits, I cannot help but consider what I will say I am thankful for at the Thanksgiving table. Usually, Thanksgiving can be disregarded until the week of. We are excited to see our families and get a break from school, but do we consider what we are thankful for before sitting down at the table?Â
Instead of floating through the month waiting for the moment to come and go to get into the winter holiday spirit, I want to recognize gratitude through the month. Gratitude is something we do not often actively practice. We feel it, but we do not always make a conscious effort to recognize what we are really grateful for.Â
It was not until I took a first year seminar about mental health that I realized how big an impact feeling gratitude could make on my life. It started simple. During my seminar, for a conscious moment I would think of a few things I was thankful for. The usuals came to mind: “friends, family, health,” but then it shifted. I began keeping a gratitude journal in which I would write three things I was grateful for every week. I wanted to delve deeper each week. It wasn’t extravagant. I would write about how I was thankful I got to see a sunset that week, or about how I had a nice conversation with a stranger that made my day.Â
My perspective was shifting as I considered all I had to be grateful for. I would start to feel it in random moments because I knew it was important to have one to write about. I became more grateful for my blanket that kept me warm while I did my exam review. I was comforted by my roommate watching a show with me before bed even though we were both tired. I began feeling grateful for wind and grass, the smell of nature, and getting to take beautiful walks around campus.
The more I recognized gratitude, the happier I felt. My perspective was shifting and I could see more joy in every aspect of life. It was refreshing. It gave me more optimism, and even the days that I was a pessimist, there was a version of me still reminding myself there is beauty in everything. These moments day-to-day were for me. It was something I was doing for my own well-being that was making an active difference.Â
After a long year, going into November feels like a set moment to focus on gratitude. It is easy to let it slip between the cracks. When you shift your focus, you can consciously savor more elements of your day. It allows you to feel yourself slow down. For my active practice, I hope to write a sentence a day about what I have to be appreciative of. It not only brings light into our perspective but it can bring in more peace.Â
There is power in having these moments for yourself. It is a moment no one can take away from you. Actively focusing on gratitude gives you the chance to reshape your perspective. It provides a positive way to go into Thanksgiving and the rest that 2024 has to offer.