Gratitude During Thanksgiving

As Thanksgiving approaches, many people focus on being thankful. We hear it in conversations, around the table, and throughout the season. There is another idea that reaches deeper: gratitude. While the two sound similar, understanding the difference can support emotional wellbeing during a time of year that can feel both meaningful and heavy.

Thankfulness vs. Gratitude

Thankfulness is usually a quick emotional response.

It appears naturally when something kind or helpful happens. It is genuine and important, but often brief.

Gratitude is more intentional.

It is the ongoing practice of noticing and holding the parts of life that bring comfort, meaning, or connection. Gratitude becomes a way of moving through the world, not only a feeling that shows up in certain moments.

Both matter, but gratitude creates a deeper foundation of support. It can sit beside grief, stress, or uncertainty. Gratitude does not erase difficult feelings. It simply creates small moments of grounding that help us hold what we are carrying.

Research continues to show that gratitude has a meaningful impact on emotional and physical health.

A few examples include:

Improved Mood and Emotional Resilience

Gratitude helps build positive emotion and balance. Studies show that gratitude practices can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression while improving overall wellbeing.¹

Reduced Stress

Noticing even one moment of support or connection sends cues of safety to the brain and body. Over time, gratitude practices can reduce stress responses and help regulate the nervous system.²

Stronger Relationships

Expressing gratitude helps people feel valued and seen. Research shows that gratitude increases connection and relationship satisfaction.³

Increased Mindfulness

Gratitude encourages slowing down and noticing what is present. This creates a softer, steadier pace during a season that can feel overwhelming.

Support for Meaning-Making in Grief

For those living with loss, gratitude can help create moments of comfort without minimizing pain. It allows both grief and meaning to exist together.

Thanksgiving can be painful or complicated. It may stir grief, memories, or pressure to engage in traditions that feel different now. Gratitude does not require cheerfulness or forced positivity.

It offers gentle ways to stay grounded:

Noticing one moment of calm

Remembering someone who showed up for you

Naming something that offered comfort

Acknowledging your own strength

Taking in a sensory moment such as warm light or a familiar smell

Gratitude can be small and quiet. It can coexist with sadness or longing. And that is more than enough.

As Thanksgiving approaches, gratitude can help create small pockets of steadiness and connection. Whether this season feels warm, difficult, or somewhere in between, gratitude offers a simple way to care for yourself and remain anchored to what matters most.

Footnotes