Before we go careening into Christmas (or Hanukkah for our Jewish friends) like an out of control sleigh, we should make a Thanksgiving pit-stop.
In many ways, Thanksgiving may not actually be the official start of the holiday season anymore. However, it does seem to be when all the “to-do” lists and shopping lists begin to be on steroids. If you were out at the grocery stores this past weekend, you got a taste of that!
We all KNOW the purpose of Thanksgiving and yet it can easily get lost in the seemingly endless tasks involved in preparing for the celebration. It’s hard to be grateful when you have to shop for a turkey and all the trimmings in a crowd of busy, grumpy, people trying to accomplish the same thing. It’s hard to be grateful when you need to take a day off to prepare for your day off. It’s hard to be grateful when you’re up past midnight making that 4th pie. It’s hard to be grateful when you work your tail off to set a beautiful table and get dinner on the table by 5 and chronically late Aunt Sally doesn’t get there til 6 or chronically critical Uncle Joe asks why you didn’t make the kind of sweet potato casserole with the marshmallows in it (and neglects to mention or appreciate the other 15 dishes on the table). Sometimes it’s just hard to be grateful…period.
It’s human nature to focus on what’s not done yet, what’s not quite right, what we don’t have, etc. Not only that, but it gets even harder if we struggle with anxiety and/or depression. When we struggle with anxiety and/or depression, our brain chemistry isn’t quite functioning as it should. Because of this we are prone to negative and/or catastrophic thinking. (Think, “Oh no! I spilled the milk therefore I’m an terrible person” or Chicken Little’s, “The sky is falling!”) These ruminating thoughts make it hard to get a grateful or positive thought in edge-wise. Let’s face it, when we feel like everything is going wrong or could go wrong, it feels next to impossible to think of something to be grateful for! Frankly, when I (Michelle) feel that way, I can easily get annoyed at the mere suggestion that I find something to be grateful for!
That being said, just because it’s challenging doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. Those very same brain chemistry issues can be positively changed by the power of gratitude. No, it’s not like, “Name 3 things you’re grateful for and then you’ll feel better.” It doesn’t work like aspirin for a headache. However, our brains, thanks to something called neuroplasticity, have a wonderful ability to grow and change. Like trying to keep a plant alive, the part that grows and thrives is the part that you feed. As with most worthwhile things, it is much (MUCH) easier said than done.
While this is not THE answer to our anxiety, depression, and stress; it can be an important part of the answer. So while we’re feeding our stomachs on turkey and stuffing, let’s remember to feed our brains with a healthy portion of thankfulness.
Take care of you…
