Beyond Thanksgiving: adopting a gratitude mindset - an investment in your wellbeing
Many countries around the world have established official holidays, or times of the year, expressly dedicated to celebrating the gifts of the season’s harvest. Just last month in Canada and this week in the US, people have pressed pause on their hectic lives to share time with family and friends, to prepare their favourite dishes, and to break bread with one another. As for myself, the last two weeks I have had the pure joy of spending time in Japan where seasonal foods are front and centre of the harvest celebrations, alongside the tradition of Momijigari - the celebration of the seasonal changes in nature, in particular the trek to explore and experience the vibrant colours of the autumn maple leaves with family and friends across the country (I jumped right in to indulge in Momijigari whilst visiting Kyoto, as seen by the feature photo in this post.) Over the years, the celebrations have evolved to include the viewing of sporting events, family game nights, or even the madness of discounted shopping days (e.g. Black Friday). But despite these enjoyable distractions, at the heart of it all it is about coming together to give thanks. As we are deep in the season of giving thanks, I’ve been reflecting on the importance of actively expressing gratitude, and how the practice of gratitude can contribute to our wellbeing.
Giving thanks, or expressing or acknowledging gratitude, isn’t just a warm feeling — it has a measurable impact! I did some digging into this topic and discovered that controlled trials and ressearch actually show that regular gratitude practices (for example: keeping a gratitude journal, writing Thank You cards/letters, or deliberately expressing thanks, verbally or even through a friendly text message) all reliably improve wellbeing. Aggregate randomized trials report roughly a 6–7% increase in life satisfaction and similar small improvements in overall mental health, along with reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms (roughly 7–8% and 6–7% lower scores, respectively). An experimental study revealed found that participants in gratitude had improved behavioural and energy-related changes and reported approximately 1.5 more hours of exercise per week and better sleep (and fewer physical complaints in some samples) vs control groups. (see Emmons & McCullough’s experimental work in the reference list below) Large correlational studies also show a substantial negative association between gratitude and depressive symptoms (r ≈ −0.39), and observational work has even linked higher gratitude to modestly lower mortality risk (about 9% lower all-cause mortality in one large older-adult research study/cohort). While the effects can be considered small to moderate and certainly vary by study, it is clear that gratitude is a low-cost, accessible practice with consistent evidence for boosting mood, sleep, pro-social behavior, and subjective wellbeing (and it can complement — but, of course, not replace — proven clinical treatments when those are needed). Having a Gratitude Mindset in your life can make a difference!
In my previous blog post (see My Summer of Wellbeing), I reference the importance of practicing gratitude daily as one of my ways of ‘slowing down’. I know that sometimes changing how you approach things can be difficult to get started. As such, I like to give practical tips on how you can begin to integrate these things into something manageable for you. Fueled by teachings from my Guru, my own experiences, and my online research, here are some of the proven ways you can works towards creating your Gratitude Mindset, with maximum impact.
ADOPTING YOUR GRATITUDE MINDSET: 7 Helpful ways to get you started.
1. Gratitude Journaling (2–3 times per week)
Why:
This is the most widely studied gratitude practice. Trials using 5–10 minute journaling sessions show increases in life satisfaction, positive affect, and small reductions in symptoms of anxiety/depression.
How:
List 3 things you’re grateful for, and spend time on why each thing matters.
Aim for specificity (“My coworker stayed late to help me with a project”) rather than generalities (“I’m grateful for my job”).
2. The Gratitude Note (Once Every 2–4 Weeks)
Why:
Remember the old thank you note? Gratitude/Thank you notes create some of the strongest short-term wellbeing boosts in research studies.
How:
Write a letter (or email) to someone you never properly thanked.
Describe what they did, why it mattered, and how it affected your life.
Optional but powerful: Read the letter to them in person or via video call.
Effects can last weeks to months according to clinical trials.
3. My personal fave: “Three Good Things” Evening Reflection (Daily)
Why:
It’s easy to do! Plus, this positive psychology classic improves sleep, reduces rumination, and increases happiness in multiple trials.
How:
Each night, write down three things that went well today.
Add one sentence on why each good thing happened.
This shifts attention bias from threat → reward, a mechanism linked to lower anxiety.
4. Simple Gratitude “Meditation” (5 minutes)
Why:
Short guided meditations focusing on gratitude improve mood and emotional regulation.
How:
Close your eyes and visualize one person or moment you feel grateful for.
Recreate the scene in detail — sights, sounds, emotions.
Let yourself feel appreciation without forcing it.
5. Gratitude in Relationships (“Share One Appreciation”)
Why:
Expressing appreciation improves relationship satisfaction, increases connectedness, and reduces conflict — demonstrated in couples and organisational studies.
How:
Tell a partner, friend, or co-worker one specific thing they did that you appreciate.
Keep it brief but sincere: “I appreciated that you checked in on me yesterday — it made the day easier.”
6. RANDOM ACTS OF GRATITUDE - Giving SUPPORT as a Gratitude Practice
Why:
This is newer research: feeling and expressing gratitude increases prosocial behavior, which in turn reduces stress, improves neural regulation, and even lowers inflammatory markers.
How:
Do one small act of support for someone (text encouragement, help with a task).
Briefly acknowledge the gratitude you feel for being connected to them.
7. CREATE “Micro-Moments of Gratitude” (30 seconds)
Why:
Tiny practices build emotional habits, especially for busy people.
How:
When something good happens, pause and say:
“This is a good moment, and I’m grateful for it.”This strengthens awareness of positive events, which are often overlooked.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this I hope you find the info helpful (Giving thanks!). Feel free to share with anyone you think could benefit from this. I do find having a Gratitude Mindset is a big stress-reducer for me!
Try putting this in action immediately and let me know how it goes! Drop a note in the comments or via email at hello@livingwellxlg.com. Thank you for taking the time to read this I hope you find this helpful
With healing love,
xLG
By the way, if you would like to review the research studies in detail, please see the reference list below. (All links go to publisher pages, PubMed records, or reputable summaries.)
Cregg, D. R., & Cheavens, J. S. (2021). Gratitude interventions: Effective self-help? A meta-analysis of the impact on symptoms of depression and anxiety. Journal of Happiness Studies, 22(4), 413–445.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-020-00236-6Diniz, G., Casall, M., Jouriles, E. N., & McMakin, D. L. (2023). The effects of gratitude interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE, 18(7), e0287739.
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0287739Emmons, 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.
https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.84.2.377Hazlett, L. I., Manczak, E. M., Lee, M.-R., Etkin, A., & Chen, E. (2021). Exploring neural mechanisms of the health benefits of gratitude in women: A randomized controlled trial. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 95, 464–473.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2021.03.017Iodice, J. A., Malouff, J. M., & Schutte, N. S. (2021). The association between gratitude and depression: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Depression and Anxiety, 4(2), 027.
(Open-access PDF) https://www.ijda.org/index.php/ijda/article/view/37/26Harvard Health Publishing. Giving thanks can make you happier. (Summary of findings including Nurses’ Health Study gratitude–mortality data.)
https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/giving-thanks-can-make-you-happierFredrickson, B. L., et al. (2008). Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 95(5), 1045–1062.
(Included because it’s often referenced in gratitude/positive emotion literature.)
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013262