There’s no way around it: It’s a hard year. Turning on the news is terrifying, the job market is bleak, and burnout is real. As we move into the colder months, less sunlight and cloudy weather means less energy and worse moods. I think what we all need right now (besides scheduling some really good weekly therapy sessions) is gratitude. While gratitude may sound cliche, it’s actually an extremely powerful tool.
Research (such as studies done by UCLA’s Mindfulness Awareness Research Center) shows that gratitude changes the brain’s molecular structure, resulting in greater happiness. In addition to increasing happiness, it can also reduce anxiety and stress. Gratitude and anxiety cannot be felt at the same time because the brain can only respond to one of the emotional states. Gratitude and anxiety cannot coexist; when you feel gratitude, your anxiety and stress levels lower. Real gratitude is not a superficial self-care or journaling trend; it’s a superpower. And right now is the perfect season to tap into it. It’s called Thanksgiving for a reason; maybe this time of year is when we need to feel thankful the most.
But BTW, gratitude is not about toxic positivity or foregoing goals; you can feel gratitude for the glass half-full while being intentionally aware of the empty space, too. Gratitude is a lens through which we see the world, a permanent state of being. So for my Everygirl Podcast listeners and gratitude seekers, I’ve put together a month-long challenge that contains content to consume, activities to try, or episodes to listen to for every single day through November. The goal? To end the month feeling more mindful, connected, and so much happier in your life.
Josie Santi, Podcast Host & Senior Wellness Editor
Josie has been an editor and writer for The Everygirl since 2017 and became a certified Holistic Health Coach in 2020. Listen to Josie on The Everygirl Podcast.
Week 1: Tap Into Abundance Mindset
1. Start by listening to “November’s Monthly Curriculum: New Hot Girl Habits & Your Glow-Up Guide to Gratitude” for the full monthly curriculum on gratitude
2. Make a list of as many specific reasons you can think of to be in love with your life
3. Start a “Good Things List” and add to it every day this week (or month)
4. Listen to the new episode of The Everygirl Podcast, “7 Daily Practices to Boost Energy, Productivity, & Wellbeing (In Just Minutes a Day), with Andrea Leigh Rogers“
5. Make a “gratitude board,” which is a vision board, except with all images from your current life of the things that you already have.
6. Tap into “Lucky Girl Syndrome” today
7. Think about one thing you weren’t grateful for when it happened (getting laid off from a job, a breakup, a hard conversation with a loved one?) and think about how it unexpectedly benefited you. It’s crucial we don’t just practice gratitude for the obvious good thing; we feel true gratitude when we practice it for everything.
“Appreciate everything, even the ordinary. Especially the ordinary.” – Pema Chödrön
Week 2: Feel Gratitude for Yourself
8. Journal from the point of view of your younger self, who always wanted what you have now—what would they think if they could see the life you have?
9. Pick one (or a few) of these self-love affirmations to write on a Post-It or recite to yourself throughout the week.
10. Read “I’ve Talked to 100+ of the Most Confident Women–Here’s What I’ve Learned About Self-Love“
11. Make a list of your favorite qualities: all the things you love about yourself (even if you have to dig deep!).
12. Write a letter to your future self who has everything you want, thanking them for the life they have worked so hard for.
13. Listen to the new episode of The Everygirl Podcast, “5-Minute Pep Talk To Immediately Feel Happier“
14. Do something for yourself today because you deserve it: watch your favorite movie, cook your favorite meal, treat yourself to a massage or coffee out, as a way to say “thank you.”
“Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” – Voltaire
Week 3: Feel Gratitude for Community
15. Make a list of the top five people (pets count!) who make the biggest impact on your daily happiness
16. Listen to “Why We Never Feel Fully Present–And How to Fix It To Be 100% Happier”
17. Send an old-school “Thank you” note to someone who deserves it
18. Offer gratitude during a normal conversation (add a “thank you” in an email to your coworker, offer appreciation to your partner while you’re watching TV, or say “BTW, I want to thank you for being there for me…” when texting with your friend)
19. Brainstorm ways to express gratitude to your people that do not require words: Bring a coffee for your work wife, take care of your significant other’s chores for the day, host a wine night for your girls
20. Read “This Gratitude Trend Is Going Viral–Here’s Why I Love It”
21. Say “thank you” to someone not in your immediate circle: the barista who greets you with a smile every morning, the new friend you’ve just gotten to know, the coworker who compliments your presentations
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey
Week 4: Feel Gratitude for Your Body
22. Listen to the new episode of The Everygirl Podcast with Micaela Riley, a functional nutritionist and practitioner specializing in gut health, hormones, and metabolism
23. Make a list of all the things you are grateful your body does for you or the experiences it has given you (laughing with your friend, going for a morning run, enjoying a delicious meal)
24. Choose one meal of the day and give thanks for the fuel your body is about to receive or your access to food to eat
25. Pick a gratitude affirmation that you need this holiday season
26. Listen to “Seasonal Shift Glow Up: How to Support Your Immunity, Sleep, & Energy For Fall,” and pick one recommendation from the episode to treat your body today
27. Happy Thanksgiving! Bring the feeling of gratitude you have tapped into all month throughout the entire day.
28. Read “Why You Don’t Need a Thanksgiving Detox, and How to Care for Your Body Instead“
“It’s up to us to choose contentment and thankfulness now, and to stop imagining that we have to have everything perfect before we’ll be happy.” – Joanna Gaines
Week 5: Establish Gratitude as a Habit
29. Go on a complaint cleanse (think of it as a “Gratitude Edit”)
30. Make a list of everything you did, learned about, or practiced over the past month that made the biggest difference for you, and then make a plan to implement it into your life regularly
Feature graphic images credited to: Cottonbro Studio | Pexels, Ruby Ruby | Pexels, Erika Andrade | Pexels, Liudmyla Honcharova | Pexels
