Ways to Express Gratitude

Ways to Express Gratitude

April 20, 2020

What if I told you that I have a tool to help lift your spirits, especially during this time of uncertainty. Let’s be honest...it’s a bit scary. May I be so bold? One of the ways to keep our “heads up” is to express gratitude which is similar to working out (don’t go--- please hang with me). Think of it as a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it becomes.

I’ve come up with a simple acrostic for the word T.H.A.N.K.S. that contains various ways to express gratitude.

  • T - tell someone that you are grateful for them and be sure to say why. This can be done via a phone call or chat of sort like MarcoPolo, Zoom, SnapChat. You can even record a message in Facebook messenger or Instagram message.
  • H - handwritten note. Send a thank you note or a “just because” card to encourage someone you love and care about. Cards have a 100% open rate and never go out of style.
  • A - Announce it - give someone a shout out on social media saying how and why they mean so much to you. This will certainly fill their cup.
  • N - Notate what you are grateful for by keeping a journal. Aim to write down 3-5 things each day. Want extra credit? Write down 10 things. Need help jogging your memory, start with YOU, then think of the people, places or things. For instance, I’m grateful for Lee, family, neighbors, first responders, Grand Central Park, my pups, coffee...etc.
  • K - kindness. Do something for someone else. This can be big or small from making the bed (family) or offering to pick up something at the grocery store (neighbor).
  • S - sharing is caring and when we are able to, share a meal or cup of coffee with a friend or someone you’ve lost touch with.

According to Piedmont Cancer Center, gratitude has also been shown to have a positive effect on the immune system because it decreases the stress hormone cortisol. A natural immune builder? Yes, please. I want to challenge you to implement a few of these this week and the weeks to come in order to strengthen your gratitude muscle.

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