What will your Thanksgiving look like this year in the new normal? From the traditions you’ve heard of before to the more creative options, there’s something for everyone. The important thing to remember is that there isn’t one An right way to spend thanksgiving. Whatever makes you feel happiest and safest is ultimately the right choice. The pandemic has forced many families to change their annual traditional Thanksgiving plans in recent years, but gratitude is not cancelled. What will your Thanksgiving look like in the “new normal” of post-pandemic times?
For this tear, Thanksgiving will be different. One of the most common places Americans have felt the effects of inflation is at the grocery store, where the prices of many foods have risen throughout the year. Because Thanksgiving traditionally revolves around one large meal, the majority of Americans (86%) expect rising food costs to have an impact on their Thanksgiving plans. Our dinner can be a real celebration to spend time with family and friends.
5 Mindfulness Tips for a Happier Thanksgiving
Stay connected
Humans are hardwired for connection, which is one of the reasons why this pandemic has hit people’s emotional well-being so hard. Just because you won’t be there in person as you normally would, doesn’t mean you have to spend the day alone. Practice mindful self-care and make a plan to connect outdoors or via video chat for Thanksgiving. You lift your own mood and that of others at the same time.
Arrive attentively
I recommend taking 5-10 minutes to transition from your everyday life into the world of holiday family gatherings, even if you’re getting together virtually. That short amount of time can mean the difference in how you appear. Try listening to a free guided meditation on the Insight Timer app. There is a fantastic guided meditation by Rick Hanson called “Coming Home to Happiness” that lasts eight minutes. It guides you through leaving what you don’t want to take with you in a suitcase outside your front door. It is awesome.
Respond instead of reacting
Thanksgiving gatherings are a beloved part of our culture — and they’re also notorious hotspots for awkward or heated conversations. Even if you’re seeing loved ones for a quick outdoor gathering or video chat during the holidays, you can increase the odds that your interactions will go smoothly by practicing PAUSE.
Place a sticker with colored dots on your computer, on your jacket, on your wallet or bag, where you will see it most easily and often. Seeing one of the stickers reminds you to pause and take three deep breaths so that your exhalation is slightly longer than your inhalation. (For example, inhale for a count of four and exhale for a count of six.) That short pause alone will snap you out of the cycle of worry and worry. You can even attach a happy memory to the sticker and recall it in your mind every time. That way, when you take a break, you establish a positive mental state. Take a breath and turn that positive state into a neural trait, making you happier and more resilient.
Practice acceptance and forgiveness
Family gatherings can be especially triggering when there are unresolved issues between family members, and we can get triggered whether we’re on screen together or sitting around the dinner table. Try a guided meditation for forgiveness and letting go. The Insight Timer has a category for forgiveness, with meditations and readings from some great teachers.
Start with a gratitude exercise
An easy way to get started with gratitude practices is to keep a journal. Notice the moments during the day when you feel joy, and then take a few breaths to absorb that good mental state, allowing it to turn into a neural trait. What fires together, connects threads! And the Thanksgiving holiday is a great time to implement the practice. Before you go to bed at night, answer these two questions in your journal: What are you grateful for today? What did you enjoy today?
For a Thanksgiving gratitude twist, invite loved ones to join you in this gratitude practice, whether on the holiday itself or in the week leading up to it. Then share some of your gratitude with each other to celebrate and connect.
Continue this practice throughout the year to turn your gratitude practice into a healthy lifestyle and reap great rewards proven benefitssuch as better physical and mental health, better sleep, better self-image and much more.