Why Every Day Should Be Thanksgiving

By Valerie Steinman

My favorite Thanksgiving tradition is not watching the big floats in the parade, playing touch football in the crisp fall air or cooking those family famous sweet potatoes with grandma, but having each person around the table say what they are thankful for.

With the Thanksgiving holiday right around the corner, it is important to take a moment to reflect on the importance of gratitude.

Tree-huggers and Harvard Intellectuals Agree-Gratitude Makes You Happy

 We know that it feels good to be appreciated and needed. Most of us don’t work hard to receive props, but it’s a pleasant bonus to be noticed for what we are doing.

The extraordinary thing you might not know about thankfulness is that the person who expresses the gratitude has numerous benefits, not just the person receiving the appreciation

Harvard Health Publications published an article summarizing the extensive research scientifically proving positive effects of gratitude. It has been shown to increase well-being, happiness, empathy, optimism and energy!

There is Nothing to Lose

Showing and expressing gratitude lets people know that you appreciate and value them. It has been proven to make everyone happier, so there is nothing to lose by saying the things you like and love out loud (even if you happen to be annoyed).

Verbally expressing gratitude is the quickest and easiest way to let someone know you care and are thankful for what they do for you. It can also bring people together and help build stronger relationships. Everybody wants to feel appreciated and needed, so make it a point to let someone know you are thankful for them and what they do for you!

We’ll Make it Insanely Easy for You

There are people all around you. You can do this with friends, family and even acquaintances so that everyone can benefit from the contagious nature of positivity.

Simply fill in the blanks below:

1. Thank you so much for ___
2. Thanks for being such a ___person.
3. I really appreciate that you ____, even though you hate doing it!
4. I couldn’t have _____ without you.
5. I’m so lucky to have someone so ____ in my life.
6. We make a great team when it comes to ___.
7. Thanks for being my partner in ____.
8. You’re such an awesome ____.
9. One of the best things about your smile is ____.
10. One of the best things about your personality is ____.
11. One of the most important things I’ve learned from you is ____.
12. Thanks for helping me with my _____.
13. One of my happiest memories with you is _____.
14. You really cheer me up when you ____.
15. You’re one of the ______-est people I know.
16. I know I can count on you to _____ day after day, thank you for that.
17. I’m glad you told me about _____, I feel closer to you now.
18. I love it when we ____ together and don’t even have to say any thing.
19. I’m really grateful to have you as a _____.

Expressing gratitude should not only be a holiday activity, so remember that even little things deserve appreciation. Making people feel loved never gets old.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Free Printable Worksheets

If you and your partner are looking for a fun way to give your relationship a quick tune-up, check out this:

Printable Mini Relationship Toolkit

Couples who practice good habits on a regular basis are better at managing conflict, feeling closer and having more fun. In this mini workbook you will receive these printable worksheets:

THE RELATIONSHIP FITNESS TEST (to assess how healthy your relationship is)
Answer a short questionnaire together with your partner to learn which habits to keep up, and which areas need to be strengthened.

THE WORKOUT CALENDAR (to create and maintain healthy relationship habits for a lifetime)
This planner makes it easy to map out good habits in the midst of your busy routine. Includes daily, weekly, monthly and yearly planning.

Empathy Cheatsheets
Empathy has been proven to be the number one most important communication skill you can master.