Three Practices for the Holiday Season
Before the first holiday gathering even begins, your calendar may already feel crowded. You have meals to plan, gifts to buy, family schedules to coordinate, and everyday responsibilities that keep going. Add financial worries, complicated relationships, or the absence of someone you love, and the season can feel far from carefree.
When you’re stretched thin, being told to “be grateful” may sound like one more expectation to meet. But gratitude can begin with something much smaller: noticing a moment that helped you get through the day.
A friend checked in. You had a few quiet minutes before everyone woke up. Someone handled a task you were dreading. Those moments deserve attention, even when the rest of the day was difficult.
How Gratitude Can Support Your Mental Health
Research suggests that gratitude practices can support emotional well-being and life satisfaction. Some studies also show improvements in symptoms of anxiety and depression, although results vary. Gratitude can be a useful addition to the ways you care for yourself, alongside appropriate support for your mental health.
One practical benefit is the opportunity to broaden your attention. When you’re overwhelmed, unfinished tasks and worries can dominate your thoughts. Pausing to recognize something helpful or comforting gives you another part of your experience to consider.
You can feel grateful for a supportive friend while feeling exhausted by your responsibilities. You can appreciate a family tradition while grieving the person who used to share it with you. Making room for both feelings allows gratitude to feel honest.
These three practices offer simple places to start.
1. Keep a Record of What Helped
At the end of the day, ask yourself: What made today a little easier, warmer, or more enjoyable?
Write down one answer in a notebook, on your phone, or on a scrap of paper beside your bed. A single sentence is enough.
Try being specific. Instead of writing “I’m grateful for my family,” you might write, “My sister listened while I talked through a stressful decision.” Instead of “I’m grateful for my home,” try, “I enjoyed sitting under a blanket after a long day.”
Specific details help you remember the experience and what it meant to you.
On especially hard days, choose something basic: a satisfying meal, clean sheets, or a few minutes of privacy. If nothing comes easily, leave the page blank and try again another day. The practice should offer a little breathing room, with no pressure to produce a meaningful insight every evening.
Over time, your notes become a record of support and comfort you might otherwise forget.
2. Build a Pause Into Something You Already Do
A busy season may leave little room for another routine. Start with an activity that already belongs to your day.
During a short walk, notice one thing you enjoy: cool air against your face, leaves moving overhead, or a neighbor’s cheerful decorations. While drinking your morning coffee, pause long enough to appreciate its warmth. As you prepare dinner, notice a favorite ingredient or the pleasure of making something nourishing.
The question is simple: What do I appreciate about this moment?
You can do this while seated, looking out a window, or listening to music. Choose a setting that feels comfortable and accessible to you.
A brief pause gives an ordinary experience your full attention. Even familiar things can feel different when you slow down enough to notice them.
3. Make Your Appreciation Specific and Share It
Think about someone whose actions have mattered to you recently. Perhaps a coworker stepped in when your workload grew, a friend remembered something important, or a family member quietly took care of a household task.
Tell them what you noticed.
“I appreciated you checking on me after that appointment.”
“Thank you for handling dinner. It helped me catch my breath.”
“You made me feel welcome when I was nervous.”
A text, voice message, or quick conversation is enough. Specific appreciation lets someone know how their actions affected you and creates an opportunity for connection.
You can also express gratitude through a thoughtful action: return a favor, make time to listen, or offer help when you have the capacity.
Let the Practice Fit Your Life
Start with whichever approach feels easiest. Keep it small enough to use on an ordinary, imperfect day.
This season, allow yourself to notice both the demands you’re carrying and the moments that sustain you. A little gratitude can begin there.