Gratitude for Happiness
As we enter the month of November, we know that the 4th Thursday is our day of Thanksgiving here in the U.S. In a year with multiple national and global challenges, the ideas of gratitude and happiness take on new meaning. This is particularly true for those of you who are parents looking for hope for your children, even as you seek it for yourself. And, this is especially so with teens as they strive for independence, as you do all you can to keep them safe.
Let’s take a few moments to step aside from large-scale and family concerns while we explore gratitude. This includes its association with happiness. And, simple steps for exploring gratitude as a mindful practice. This is one of our goals at Mindful Healing. Simply put, it’s to offer you practical tips for bringing you into the moment, supporting a feeling of balance. Part of our goal is for you to share this and other practices with your teen.
Gratitude is a Practice
Gratitude practice is essentially an exploration. It is quite simple and builds on what you already do, at least on a good day. Recall the last time you saw a lovely sunset. Or your relief that the best coffee shop around is still open. Each of those represent your gratitude. The question is: Do the reminder of things like these bring you a sense of peace or contentment? If so, even for a fleeting moment, you are experiencing the essence of happiness.
Now the key is to incorporate gratitude practice into every day. Include your teen by talking about it. Compare notes about what happened for each of you during the day. They’ll learn what you’re grateful for as you learn to see thankfulness through their eyes. Here’s a list of gratitude tips wrapped up in one long acronym. Use any one each day to guide you. Ask your teen to do the same, having them pick their own.
Grateful: Look around for simple things you’re happy about, or rely on. Your favorite pen, a certain hat, coat, or footgear. Someone at work or in your neighborhood who always waves or says “hi.”
Remedy: Notice how others brighten when you greet them with a smile. Your doing so might set their day on the right course.
Attitude: Watch for shifts in your perspective as you’re on the outlook for people and aspects of life for which you’re grateful. Talk with your teen about your experiences with gaining a ‘Gratitude Attitude.”
Truth: It’s okay to get stuck. Today is not the best day for being grateful. Own your truth, it’s part of achieving balance. Another day you won’t feel bogged down, and you’ll likely have gratitude that feeling is gone.
Integrity: This connotes being whole and honest. When you look around, you can see it in others. When your teen is honest about challenges with friends, school, or thinking about their future, they’re showing their integrity. And, you can express gratitude for that.
Thanks: The starting point here is with you! Please thank yourself for what you do each day. You do it for others, especially your family. You then thank them for what they do, at home, work, and in your community. Make a special point of thanking your teen. It helps to balance out the times you’ve had upsetting verbal exchanges.
Unity: Yup, we’re all in this together. Your teen and you influence others as you express thanks or talk about the things for which you’re grateful. The weather, a good movie, ice cream on a weeknight, or someone who made your day. Mentioning things like these helps others to think in terms of gratitude. Spreading the Gratitude Attitude is a good thing!
Daily: Moments of happiness spring up as you adapt to your daily practice. Your brain and being move toward balance. One minute you’re not thinking about being grateful and the next you’re aware of feeling thankful.
Engaging: As I’ve said earlier, engage your teen, and the rest of your family, in talking about gratitude. It doesn’t need to be serious. Creating silliness is something to be grateful for. Explore what is fun about gratitude practice. What is serious? How does it affect your emotions? Is it bringing you into emotional balance?
Thanksgiving is associated with the harvest and gratitude for a good crop. Perhaps this year your crop will include reminders of simple things that your teen and you are grateful for. Including each other.
Here at Mindful Healing we are grateful for the trust you and your family have in our services. We are thankful for being a part of your lives and contributing to your teen’s future.
