It might surprise you (or not) to hear that gratitude is genuinely good for you. Whilst most of us know that it’s a good feeling, what you might not know is that it’s a “scientifically proven happiness booster”. Yep, you read that right, gratitude is not just good for your mental health, but for your overall well-being. Gratitude is scientifically proven to make you more resilient, positive, and mindful.
Though the holiday season should be overwhelmingly filled with gratitude, it can be hard to squeeze it into a frenetic, day-to-day life. Being busy consistently can leave you with no free moments to get out a gratitude journal or take a minute to think about all the things you’re grateful for. The good news? You can turn your gift-giving into acts of gratitude. Here’s how…
Change your shopping list into a gratitude list
Instead of writing a long list of whom you ‘need’ to give gifts to, change the way you think. Think about gift-giving instead in terms of what you are thankful for. When you look at a list of the people you are going to give gifts to, instead of just buying something for the sake of it, change how you go about shopping.
Nisa Bayindir, a consumer psychologist and behavioral scientist, recommends writing down what each person means to you. This can be done relatively simply by associating three words with them, a specific shared memory, or even what makes them unique. Even if you opt for a fairly easy gift, you can use these unique words or anecdotes to personalize the gift with a handwritten gift card.
Include don’t exclude
Though you might automatically think that this means more spending, it doesn’t have to. Looking deeper into your life and how many people play a role in making your world go round can be refreshing. It might be that these usually unacknowledged ‘small players’ are actually some of the most important people in your life.
Often, we forget to thank those that play small but integral roles in our lives. You don’t have to go all out in terms of spending in order to show your gratitude, either. The gesture can be as small as gifting some homemade cookies or even inviting them for a drink or dinner to say thank you.
Don’t just think it, say it out loud
It might sound a bit bizarre, but telling people out loud why you’re thankful for them will inevitably be fantastic for both parties. You can do this when you hand their present to them or even as a passing comment.
Research has shown that spoken gratitude has a ripple effect that can boost the mood of everyone around you. So, even if you can’t give a physical gift, words are typically enough. Just saying thank you and expressing what makes people so special is important. After all, who doesn’t want to hear nice things about themselves? Obviously, make sure that you are keeping to the truth. It is, after all, the honesty behind the sentiment that counts.
Keep that united spirit
When you do look at giving gifts, it might be best to opt for an experience rather than an object. If you get someone an experiential gift that you can enjoy together (or they can enjoy with someone else), you are giving a much more personal gift. This tells the person that you know who they are and want to give them more than a gift and a card.
Additionally, according to Bayindir, giving an experiential gift “creates more anticipation and gratitude because the end product is endorsing positive emotions of togetherness”. This can be as simple as a coffee or lunch date on you, or as complex as skydiving.
Slow it down
The festive season can bring a lot of madness as time seems to fly by. But it really is important to slow it down and really give some thought to your gifts. A really personal gift is worth its weight in gold. Ultimately, it really isn’t about how much you spend.
Giving someone something that you have made can be much more gratifying than a generic gift. Making a gift allows you to really slow down and think about the person behind the gift rather than the gift itself.
