Gratitude is an Attitude: Thankfulness Tips for Teens

As we approach Thanksgiving, it is the perfect time to practice gratitude! It is easy to find ourselves getting caught up in our next big project or assignment, the world around us, and the overall ups and downs of the year. Being thankful is a practice that extends far beyond your turkey dinner. It is a skill that can be used year round and to increase overall positive affect and mood. 

Why Gratitude Makes an Impact

Gratitude means more than just saying “thank you.” The most important part of practicing gratitude is noticing the small things. It is easy to be grateful for large events, milestones, or even gifts. But the true change comes from paying attention to the little things, which we may find to be annoyances at times, and reframing our perspective. For example, around the holiday season people may feel stress about cooking, cleaning, and having to host family members. The act of practicing gratitude would be shifting the perspective to being grateful for having a full meal, time with loved ones, and a safe and clean home. 

When we feel gratitude our brain releases chemicals such as dopamine and serotonin. These are the “feel good” hormones that are responsible for happiness and contentment. By practicing gratitude regularly we train our brains pathways to pick up on more positive experiences and place less emphasis on the negative ones. This shift reduces overall anxiety and stress, 

Tips for Thankfulness 

Gratitude journaling

Ending each day with a short documentation of what we were thankful for that day is a great method to train your brain to increase gratitude. Making this a regular practice will encourage your perspective to shift and therefore increase overall happiness.

Practicing Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of absorbing yourself fully, and non judgmentally, in the present moment. As stated before it is very easy to get wrapped up in things we have to do the next day or even upsetting events from the day before. Being mindful is encouraging awareness to the moment you are in and fully embracing it. This can encourage you to reduce the stress and anxiety that comes from dwelling on the past or anticipating the future. 

Giving compliments

When we make others feel good, we also feel good! Giving compliments not only will boost others' mood, but also make us more aware and grateful for kindness and beautiful things around us. 

Volunteering 

Lending a helping hand, especially around the holiday season, can increase our awareness of the little things we may take for granted and shift our perspective to be grateful. 

Practicing Gratitude as an attitude takes small steps to make a big change!