Feeling Down During the Holidays? Try These 7 Gratitude Exercises to Boost Your Mood.
Gratitude Exercises to put the “Merry” back into the Holidays.
Greetings 4am Fitness Crew.
“Wow … the Holidays are already here?” This tired (early) November refrain initiates a frantic sprint to year-end - and towards the potpourri of emotions we call “The Holidays.”
The Holidays at the end of the calendar year were always destined for that paradoxical impasse: anguish and hope, childlike excitement and anxiety, joyful anticipation, and dread. Outside of the (sometimes) Utopia of Childhood, it is impossible to escape this emotional ambivalence, and the rhythmic certainty that come November, this enchanting mirage will with callous efficiency pull many unsuspecting and vulnerable souls into desolation.
But what if there was a simple, science-backed way to keep your wellness equilibrium amidst the cascading and conflating emotions of the holidays? What if you could use the holidays as an opportunity to boost your mood and reconnect with joy? By cultivating gratitude this season, you can. Extensive research shows daily gratitude practices profoundly benefit mental and even physical health. Our holistic wellness.¹
This Holiday season, be intentional and choose empowerment and emotional well-being over exhaustion, volatility, and disequilibrium. Read on to discover seven simple tactics proven to help anyone embrace gratitude and thrive this Holiday season. You deserve to feel the peace, purpose, possibility, and emotional prosperity the Holidays promise to usher in.
The Science Behind Gratitude.
Better mood.
Better sleep.
Lower blood pressure.
Improve immune function.
Source: “Gratitude is Good Medicine.” American Heart Association.
We should embrace wellness-wealth and balance as a gift we are deserving of and not some privilege reserved for a chosen few. Gratitude is the conduit to that wellness bounty of body, soul, and relationships. Gratitude begins not with a verbal articulation but a mental conviction – a neurological directive - “I am deserving of peace, purpose, and uplifting possibilities for the Holidays and beyond!”
Still not convinced that a simple “gratitude pill” taken consistently might just be the antidote for our Holiday seasonal psychosomatic “flare-ups?” Studies show consistently practicing gratitude fundamentally changes the brain by:
Increases activity in the hypothalamus that regulates stress, blood pressure, and appetite. This results in improved sleep, fewer cravings, and reduced anxiety. ²
Elevates the production of dopamine and serotonin. These “feel good” neurotransmitters lift mood and enhance emotional resilience.³
Expands gray matter volume in the occipital lobes related to sensory processing. This boosts appreciation of people, surroundings, and small joys.⁴
Additional studies demonstrate that cultivating gratitude practices correlates to measurable boosts in overall health - including 16% lower diastolic blood pressure, 10% improved sleep quality, and even 29% fewer doctor visits annually.⁵
From reducing depression by over 35% in just eight weeks to lowering A1C levels in diabetics, the evidence is compelling - gratitude is a powerful medicine for the mind, body, and spirit. - your holistic wellbeing. By committing to practicing gratitude daily, you can leverage its full therapeutic potential.⁶
Gratitude Exercises.
“Live each moment in a rampage of appreciation.” Wayne Dyer
Exercise 1. Gratitude Journaling.
Beginning each day by journaling three to five things you are grateful for, trains your brain to scan for the positive. Studies show journaling correlates to better sleep, reduced anxiety, and greater life satisfaction.⁷
To begin a gratitude journaling practice:
Set aside 5 minutes each morning with your coffee, tea, or smoothie.
List specific things, big and small, that you appreciate - from cozy blankets to kind strangers.
Elaborate on the emotions you feel and why you are grateful.
Let your list spark an uplifted mood to carry you through your day.
Writing down your grateful thoughts regularly creates a positive record of your emotions that you can revisit and enjoy.
Exercise 2. Gratitude Letter Writing.
Writing old-fashioned thank-you letters allows you to express heartfelt gratitude. Researchers find this practice results in protracted mood boosts that can last up to 3 months!⁸
Here’s how to write meaningful gratitude letters:
Identify 1-3 special people you wish to thank.
Set aside quality time without distractions to compose your letter.
Share specific things they did/sacrificed that impacted you and how they made you feel.
Keep letters two-plus pages long for maximum benefits.
Deliver them via post or email or share them in person.
The emotions conjured through sincere writing and human connections potentiate gratitude’s benefits long-term.
Exercise 3. Thank People Who Help You.
Expressing thanks verbally strengthens relationships while focusing our attention on life’s daily helpers we too often overlook.
Notice people who serve you, from loved ones to cashiers.
Thank them for their time and impact - being specific has more power.
Appreciate their qualities, not just actions. Explain how they uplifted you.
Write down the names of those you thanked to reflect on.
Set reminders (if needed) to cultivate a habit of expressing gratitude daily.
Write quick notes to leave under pillows or tuck in lunches when words are difficult to come by.
The more we express it, the more gratitude we tend to feel. Active thanking builds this essential muscle exponentially.
Exercise 4. Thank Your Body Parts.
Our bodies are incredible gifts that enable us to flourish, but we often forget to appreciate them. This mindfulness exercise helps you to express gratitude to your body directly, enhancing your body positivity, self-worth, and gratitude embodiment.
During meditation scan your body from head to toe, pausing on each part.
Thank each body area for its role, for example, “Thank you, lungs, for breathing life into me.”
Send each part appreciation and encouragement to keep doing its job.
Reflect on how your body allows you to live, love, grow, give, and be in this world.
Developing gratitude for the body’s 24/7 functioning reminds us of our inherent wholeness and worth beyond appearance. Our bodies do so much for us - they deserve abundant gratitude.
Exercise 5. Gratitude Reframing.
“How we see the problem is the problem.” Steven Covey.
Reframing situations positively trains our brain to spot silver linings versus ruminating on the negative.
Practice gratitude reframes:
In challenging moments, pause and ask, “What can I be grateful for right now?”
Refocus thoughts on any positives, from great friendships to finishing a task.
When you catch negative self-talk, counter it with three genuine self-compliments.
Setbacks become opportunities. Find the lesson or redirection to appreciate.
Use mantras like “Something good comes from everything” as prompts.
Build the habit of pivoting perspective until it becomes automatic. This transforms adversity into growth and resilience.
Exercise 6. Count Your Blessings.
This simple ritual of counting your blessings brings daily miracles into focus.
Before bed, reflect on three to five positive moments, interactions, sights, or news from your day.
Jot these “blessings” down to further engrain gratitude.
Let the act remind you of how many meaningful gifts each day contains.
Feel comforted revisiting your blessings when challenges arise.
Share your blessings with loved ones to ignite contagious positivity.
See each day as a series of blessings versus a string of stressors by pausing to acknowledge the beauty in between your busy day.
Exercise 7. Gratitude Meditation.
Dedicate meditation time solely to feeling and visualizing gratitude.
Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take a few deep breaths.
Bring someone or something to mind that you’re immensely grateful for.
Focus on the feeling of gratitude welling up within.
Envision this gratitude energy radiating from your heart center.
Repeat simple gratitude phrases like “thank you” mentally.
Regular gratitude meditation summons up, strengthens, and sustains positive emotions, conditioning you to live abundantly from this space.
Conclusion.
Linus Van Pelt: “I never thought it was such a bad little tree. It’s not bad at all, really. Maybe it just needs a little love.” A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965).
Let us not beguile ourselves into believing that gratitude, on its own, is a panacea for wellness – but it is surely a good place to start, as you take control of your emotional space/health this Holiday season.
These seven gratitude practices offer a simple and evidence-based path forward; a path to profoundly transform your mindset and boost resiliency, so your authentic self can show up and thrive all season long. By consistently practicing these gratitude exercises, you will discover (uniquely you) flavors, sounds, and visuals that will uplift, reset, reframe, and nourish. Together, they empower you to mindfully surf the highs and lows with wellness equilibrium – not only during the Holidays but throughout the year.
With “I am DESERVING” boldness, dare to gift yourself the priceless present of presence this Holiday season. Commit to intentionally awakening each day clear-headed and open-hearted, thankful to restful nights’ and centering morning routines - amplified by journaling, gratitude meditation, and other gratitude flavors (feeling free to incorporate your diverse faith traditions). Carry this gratitude bounty forth by embracing beauty and blessings wherever you go. Slow down … infuse your meals with joyful reflections between each nourishing bite. Unwrap time like a treasure to pen heartfelt notes to your heroes, who with, empathy and credulity, provided the glue, the purpose, and the path to this grateful moment.
Allow these seven gratitude practices to release you from your recurring Holiday dread and revive, renew, and reframe the beauty of this moment, this day, this Holiday season, and every other special moment that gratitude will most assuredly discover, rediscover, and abundantly gift you.
At 4am Fitness Crew, our Life and Wellness Coaches believe everyone is deserving of abundant emotional, physical, and relationship well-being. No one should have to “settle.” We are here to partner with you on this noblest of journeys – Your EMPOWERING DESERVING Wellness Journey.
Are you ready? Contact us for your FREE consultation, and let us take this first step together.
Trusted Sources:
Gratitude and Well-Being – PMC – NCBI.
Sansone, R.A., & Sansone, L.A. (2010). Gratitude and Well Being: The Benefits of Appreciation. Psychiatry (Edgmont). 7(11): 18-22.
Ren, L. et al. (2016). The Brain Structure and Spontaneous Activity of Left and Right Occipital Lobes Associated With the Gratitude Differences Between Men and Women. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01979.
Kang, Y. et al. (2019). The Structural and Functional Correlates of the Gratefulness and Reciprocity. Frontiers in Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2019.00948.
DeSteno, D., et al. (2021). Gratitude and health: consideration of the role of affectivity and psychopathology. Translational Psychiatry, 11(191).
Li, D. et al. (2017). Gratitude and Diabetes in Hong Kong Chinese. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 12:6, 577-584.
Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2003). Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 377–389.
Seligman, M.E., Steen, T.A., Park, N., Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: empirical validation of interventions.
Image Credits.
George Dolgikh, pexels.com.
Marcus Wocket, pexels.com.
Roman Odintsov, pexels.com
wallpapercave.com
Ready to start your wellness journey?
Visit our Wellness Coaching page to learn more and schedule your consultation today!
