Grateful November
I originally wrote and shared this post in 2020, and I’m just gonna keep rolling with reposting it because I like it THAT much.
Each November, I like to do a Grateful November challenge. In the past I’ve tried to post or write about one thing each day that I’m grateful for.
Studies show us over and over that gratitude and a gratitude practice can have a whole host of positive effects on your life, from decreasing depressive symptoms to improving physical health and more. You can find a list of research that supports the practice of gratitude as well a breakdown of some important research here.
It also personally helps guide my mind toward what is positive and away from focusing on what might be negative. Focusing on what I have instead of what I lack. Sometimes what I’ve chosen to be grateful for is something as silly as coffee, sometimes it’s something more meaningful like having accessible healthcare and being able to get my child into see a doctor and the meds that she needs.
The point is that I’m noticing the good things around me, and not only drawing my attention to them but encouraging others to do the same.
This past year I read an article from the Gottman Institute about taking this a step further - not only noting what I’m grateful for, but writing a thank you note to an actual person. So that’s what I’ll be tackling for my gratitude practice this November. You can find that article here.
For me, the detail of what exactly you’re doing to focus on gratitude matters a lot less than finding something that is doable and manageable for you. I also think that in our world right now, that is so divided and polarized and hateful, we could all use whatever gratitude we can find.
Nine Ideas for a Grateful November Practice
Make a note of one thing that you are grateful for each day. Track on a physical calendar or post on Instagram or Facebook.
Thank or compliment one person you see each day.
Write a thank you note to one person each day all month, and actually send it!
Meditate or pray each night or morning, focusing on one good thing about your life.
Make a scrapbook or collage of things that you are grateful for. Hang it somewhere that you will see each morning.
Send random acts of kindness to someone else. Or pay for the coffee of the person behind you in line.
Write something you are grateful for on a slip of paper each day and save it in a jar. Take one out and read it any time you are struggling to find something that you are grateful for.
Choose someone that you love. Write them a note each day telling them something that you love about them. (I’m hoping to do this one for my kids this year!)
Make a Gratitude Tree with your kids. You can find instructions here or on Google. I found one at Target last year that we will be using this year and displaying on our dining room table.
This year, like last year, I’m tackling my gratitude practice in two ways:
Tracking on a calendar.
This was the original way that I did it the first year, and I like it. It’s quick and simple. I do often also post my daily gratitude on social media because it feels like it keeps me accountable and maybe someone else will pick up that practice also. I’m using this calendar again because I love it.
Sending notes to people I’m grateful for.
This I’m also going to track on another calendar so I know who I sent what to, but these I won’t post. These are just for the person they’re written to and will hopefully help them feel a little bit appreciated. Because truly I think we could all use a little more of this.
