A 7-Day Gratitude Reflection: Moving from "Thankful" to "Thankful for What?"

From generation to generation, there is a widening gap between thankfulness and gratitude. I notice this in my life remembering how excited I was at a young age when my grandparents would give me a piece of candy, but when I get the same piece of candy now, I’m not as appreciative. Why?

Thankfulness has become generic. So many of our blessings go overlooked, but true gratitude comes from specificity.

 

This Thanksgiving season, I challenge you to join me on a 7-day gratitude reflection. The goal of this is to better understand the difference of thankfulness being a momentary feeling of appreciation for a specific event or gift, and gratitude as a deeper, more constant appreciation for life in general. In order to do this, we will focus on the small parts of life that are more important than you think. However, in order for you to grow the most, you will need to be committed to the weeklong reflection only taking a couple minutes a day. You don’t have to be a pro right now, but you have to be comfortable with journaling and being able to identify emotions.

Now, join me throughout the next week in achieving deeper thankfulness.

Day 1: Sensory Scan

We often overlook our sensory skills of touch, hearing, smell, taste, and sight (pun intended). It’s important to remember how you are able to experience the world in so many different and unique ways.

Challenge: Focus on each specific sense as you go throughout your day.

Action: In a journal, write down each of the 5 senses, and as you go throughout your day list 1-2 things for each sense that brought you genuine pleasure. Not just “my coffee,” but “the way the orange sunlight hit the side of the coffee cup” or “the smell of the coffee beans as they are being roasted that brings me feelings of ‘warmth’ and ‘comfort.’”

Day 2: Essential Comfort

Items that provide comfort are often the items that come first to mind when thinking of what you are thankful for: a house, food, water. Although, we still need to dig a few feet down to get past the surface level of such answers.

Challenge: Focus on two physical, reliable necessities you usually take for granted.

Action: Write down one way each essential item you have access to simplifies your life. Some examples might include clean water, food, reliable heating and air conditioning, and a safe place to sleep and live. Detail the exact feelings of comfort (the sense of privacy, a full belly, etc.).

Day 3: Pivoting from Pain to Progress

Failure is a step to success. Often when I fail, I try to run from it and block it out of my mind, which is the very worst way to deal with failure. That will do more harm than it will help. Instead, we should be thankful for our failures.

Challenge: Focus on one (big or small) past obstacle that created a positive outcome.

Action: Write about a recent challenge (a stressful deadline, failure, sickness, being told no) and list at least 3 specific benefits that resulted. For example, "The deadline forced me to learn a new skill"; "The sickness made me rest and catch up on reading".

Day 4: Appreciating Forgotten Skills

Remember in elementary school when you would brag to your friends that you learned how to ride a bike without training wheels, snap, whistle, drive a car? Well, we often forget the time we didn’t know how to do that skill and the joy of learning a new skill. Let’s look back in time to appreciate

Challenge: Focus on skills or pieces of knowledge you rely on but never think of.

Action: List at least 5 things you can do automatically (driving, reading, using a computer, playing an instrument) and reflect on the effort it took to learn them. Thank your past self for the investment.

Day 5: Person-Specific Praise

Special people in your life can sometimes be underappreciated due to the routine of their actions.

Challenge: Focus on one family member and one non-family person who simplified your life.

Action: Write out a specific, genuine compliment for a colleague, barista, or neighbor, and actually send it (via text, email, paper, or in person* (*the best way)). This moves gratitude from internal reflection to external action.

Day 6: Thanking Your Body

Thanking your body goes beyond your senses to your physical body.

Challenge: Focus on one specific part of your physical body that performed well today.

Action: Instead of "I'm thankful for my health," focus specifically: "Thank you, hands, for carrying groceries." “Thank you eyes that help me see.” "Thank you, legs, for allowing me to walk." Note the specific action and the feeling of competence. Even if you have a physical disability, focus on your unique perspective on life. If you don’t, focus on the thanks that comes with that.

Day 7: Future-Focused Thanks

When giving thanks, you often only think of the past. It’s just as important to think about the future!

Challenge: Focus on a future state that will provide benefits to your wellness.

Action: Write short thank-you notes to yourself.

1. Write a short thank-you note to your past self for a decision or period of hard work that you benefit from right now. Reflect on the benefits of the decision now and in the future. For example, “Thank you for sticking with those classes even when it was miserable, because now I am closer to pursuing my real passion in my future career.”

   
   

2. Write a letter to your future, thanking your present self for one good decision you made today and one you will make in the next couple of days. Reflect on the benefits of that decision in the near future. Some examples include, "Thank you for deciding to go to bed early; I feel great now!" or “Thank you for scheduling that doctor's check-up this Thursday. I feel so much lighter knowing that task is finally off my mind.”

 

Gratitude is a muscle! Over time, focusing on what exactly you are thankful for gets easier. It also makes you more thankful, and the more you are thankful, the more enjoyable your life will be because you are focusing on the positive aspects.

I hope this 7-day reflection helped remind you of how beautiful life truly is and how many blessings you have. But the 7-day reflection doesn’t have to end after day 7. In fact, it shouldn’t! Every day, be thankful.

Be Well, Auburn.