It’s been a rough year—for everyone.
Wherever you live in the world, you have likely encountered a global pandemic, social isolation, economic slowdown, and civil unrest. Whether or not you have been personally affected by any of these factors, you almost certainly know someone who has.
And our mental well-being has suffered as a result.
In my country, the USA, according to the CDC:
- 40% of people have experienced a mental or behavioral health condition related to the coronavirus epidemic.
- 1 in 4 have experienced symptoms of depression—4X higher than previous years.
- 1 in 10 had considered suicide at some point during the last 30 days—an increase of 100% from previous years.
- 13.3% of Americans have begun or increased substance use to cope with stress related to the epidemic.
Our mental well-being has suffered greatly recently.
For that reason, it is more important than ever to embrace the month of November as a month of gratitude. No matter where you live, no matter how the pandemic is affecting your locality, no matter how your political elections turn out, this is the month to begin righting the ship toward healthier mental well-being.
It is no longer possible to wait for better days. It is essential that we take back control.
Now, let’s be clear, if you are suffering with anxiety, depression, or suicidal thoughts, intentionally embracing gratitude this coming month may not be all you need. But it is something you can do right away and may just begin to turn the cycle around in your own life.
Gratitude is a topic I have repeatedly turned to on this blog.
Minimalism sparked a renewed passion for it in my life. Research that I was not previously aware of confirmed its importance to a new level. And the recent decline in mental well-being increased my desire to return to it today.
The Benefits of Gratitude
Gratitude offers numerous mental and physical health benefits. Its importance cannot be overstated:
Gratitude reduces stress and makes us more resilient.
Gratitude helps us feel more positive emotions.
Gratitude unshackles us from toxic emotions.
Gratitude improves our self-esteem.
Gratitude decreases the symptoms of depression.
Gratitude helps us sleep better.
Gratitude improves our interpersonal relationships.
Gratitude enhances optimism.
Gratitude can even help us lower blood pressure, stop smoking, or lose weight.
How to Practice Gratitude this November
Given all the mental and physical benefits of gratitude, how do we become intentional in practicing more of it?
There are many plans and ideas to spur gratitude this coming month. It is, after all, National Gratitude Month. And because of that, there may be no month more important to start a daily gratitude practice than right now.
To get you started, I’ll include a few popular approaches to finding gratitude this month:
You could:
- Use an app: Grateful.
- Write 1 Gratitude Email each day in November.
- Commit to increased thankfulness during prayer or meditation this month.
- Start a new November tradition with your family.
Any of these ideas above would be helpful. I have committed myself to increased thankfulness during prayer/meditation this month. But maybe a different approach would work better for you.
One important key to remember is that the benefits of gratitude are most experienced when we intentionally choose to practice it regardless of our circumstances, rather than waiting for more positive circumstances.
No matter what trial you may be facing, there is always, always, always something to be thankful for. And the sooner we get started recognizing those good things, the sooner we’ll discover even more.
Mental health issues run in my family. ADHD, hoarding, depression and more are common. Making our home a calm, uncluttered space is important. I try to reward myself with art materials and pleasant experiences. In other years, we’ve gone to museums or gardens. This year we’ve taken virtual tours. There is so much beauty in the world for us to see.
Thank you for reminding me about Gratitude. It is actually a
part of my daily life anyway, but it is always good to be
reminded in this very gloomy year. Many years ago, I regularly wrot 5 things I was grateful for every day, now I do not write them, but I do note them. God is good and shines through all darkness. Blessing to you and your guidance through minimalism. It has been a blessing to me.
I am grateful this morning for the silence before the chaos of the moment, in the hopes that a new day will dawn, encouraging more civility & people coming together for a common purpose.
Mother Earth cries out for our compassion & action where the stakes are high. I am grateful that the weather is getting cooler and the beautiful leaves are falling. Nature has the capacity to recharge our batteries & to let us know what is most important, to be stewards of the Earth for the generations to follow, the Rainforests and even the tiniest of creatures.
I have a beautiful but empty journal that my husband gave me, and after reading your article I decided to use it as a thankfulness journal, so I wrote down one thing for Nov, 1 and then two things for Nov, 2 – I‘ll try to do this like the minimalism game by Josh and Ryan, and if it works out, I‘ll have thought of several hundred things to be thankful for in November.
I am so grateful that this horrible pandemic isn’t killing off our children like the Spanish flu.
Oh my goodness, this is awesome. It comes at such a great time too. I will make an intent to incorporate gratitude during meditation. Thank you so much for those links. I truly had no idea it is gratitude month. I can’t wait to start.
Gratefulness.org is a wonderful website! I have followed it for years.
Thank you for your article on gratefulness
We are up for the challenge. Can never have too much gratitude. It takes effort to silence the noise and negativity to focus on the positive, but the more we do it the easier it gets. Still requires work and intention but it certainly helps to increase our joy and optimism for better times ahead.
Beautiful and timely. Thank you for these encouraging words this morning. You’ve nudged me to start a new November tradition with my teens- I’m going to creat a space in the fridge where we can each write one thing we are grateful for each day. My little family has been suffering from anxiety and depression since COVID started and my super social kids can’t go to school. We’ve also been through tremendous personal trauma within our family and the stress is overwhelming. Focusing on gratefulness may be just what we need to get us through the holidays. Thanks again!
I love this challenge although I just saw it today! When I lost my husband 17 years ago tomorrow, I prayed intensely that I would know how to help my three children, then 20, 19, and 14 years old. The two bible verses that spoke to my heart were “in everything give thanks…’ and ‘cast your anxiety on Him because He cares for you”. Although I wasn’t sure how to give thanks for the tragic auto accident that ultimately took Mike’s life, I thanked God everyday for the peace and understanding He was giving me. I prayed daily for the 27 year old (high on meth & marijuana) who had caused the accident driving at speeds in excess of 30 mph over the speed limit. Unbelievable positive things came out of this tragic loss and though my grief is still intense, my gratitude is extremely high daily for faith, family, friends and the amazing use of “my story” which was created for use in hospitals for unconscious patients so their caregivers might know their stories! Thank you for making the practice of gratitude so real for so many!1
Thank you for sharing your story Doreen. <3
I have kept a gratitude journal from time to time. Recently found
an old one and in reading it I was filled with gratitude anew for
all my blessings. Since this is gratitude month, I will write my thoughts once again.
Thanks for this very good message.