Thanksgiving thoughts can benefit mental health for Kansans and everyone
Feelings of gratitude and counting your blessings during Thanksgiving can be good for mental health.
“Gratitude and gratitude have been found to have many benefits for mental, physical and social health,” said Joyce Baptist, professor of couples and family therapy at Kansas State University. “When we thank the people in our lives, we strengthen those social connections and remind ourselves how much we are cared for.
“Knowing that we have people in our lives who mean something to us can improve our overall health, instill confidence and reduce stress which not only improves our mental health but also our physical health. good health has positive effects on our physical health.”
Gregory Nawalanic, a clinical psychologist at the University of Kansas Health System, said there are benefits to taking time to be grateful.
“It’s easy to lose sight of all the good things in our lives when we get caught up in our commitments,” Nawalanic said. “The holidays can be so overwhelming if we let them become just another obligation. I encourage people to use them as an opportunity to draw and look at the map of your life.
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“Recognize the progress you’ve made and reflect on your accomplishments – even something as simple as showing up! Good luck to you.
Quantity over quality, and any gratitude is good
Counting your blessings can help whether you feel like you have more or less to be thankful for, or whether or not you have someone to share it with.
“Any thanks would be great,” said Nawalanic. “Sometimes we have a lot to see. So, it may be easier for someone who has little to be grateful than someone who has a lot of virtue. Goodness is brought about by the ability to appreciate anything that is important to you, which can be a loyal and loving four-legged friend, Gratitude in general is to accept appreciation and importance.
Baptist said it is not about quantity but quality.
He said: “It’s nice if we have a lot of things or people to thank. “But the important thing is the importance and meaning of the impact on our health, and the depth of our appreciation. . Regardless of the quantity, a common way of giving thanks is important. Making it a habit or a daily ritual can improve. good health.”
How to share what you are grateful for without causing anxiety to others
Going around the Thanksgiving table and sharing what you’re thankful for can be a great way to say thanks, but it can also make some people feel anxious.
“If you’re lucky enough to have people around the table, there’s no wrong way to say thank you,” Nawalanic said. “Some people are more comfortable expressing it outwardly than others who may feel better with a moment of self-appreciation. Therefore, it would be helpful to invite everyone present to take a few moments thinking and identifying the things and people they are thankful for this year.
“Then you can open the floor to anyone who would like to share their thoughts with the group while encouraging those who are uncomfortable to hold those thoughts close to their hearts. That way the more anxious people are not forced to enter the awkwardness that makes them wish they were anywhere else at the time.”
Baptist said regular exercise and not waiting for big events can help maximize health benefits. Keeping a gratitude journal can be a great way for people who like it, and it can help to appreciate small gestures.
“Sharing gratitude at the dinner table can improve relationships and team bonding,” he said. But in order for gratitude to be meaningful, we need to be specific about what we are thankful for. If we don’t know people well at dinner, it can be difficult. And saying thank you words can be difficult for some, especially the tension among the people at the table and no one should feel pressured to say thank you.
“It is also important that we do not avoid or suppress emotions or pretend that there is no tension in using gratitude. Lack of certainty defeats the purpose of giving thanks. Consider offering other ways to express gratitude like in writing that we can at the time.share with someone We want the space to be safe for everyone.
Baptist realized that some people may not have families.
“There is often pressure to be with family during the Thanksgiving holiday, and this can be difficult for those who are separated from their families,” he said. “Instead of asking people if they’re going home for the holidays, maybe ask them if they’re doing anything and if not, invite them over for some socializing. This is the time to share that we have it and those who didn’t.”
Fighting anxiety or depression? Here’s a holiday tip
Nawalanic said it can be very difficult to combat stress or anxiety during the holidays but encouraged people to be present now.
“Stress often acts as a lens that can make it difficult to find the good, as it magnifies the weaknesses and diminishes any opportunities,” said Nawalanic. And anxiety can rob a person of the ability to be fully present during the holiday celebration because of the strong desire to offer a perfect meal, or to give a ‘perfect’ blessing.
“It is very important to recognize the importance of showing up and being present at that moment. That someone was able to take a moment and join the group, especially when they are at a low level of feelings, you deserve gratitude and positivity. It’s important to push through the depressed and anxious feelings and show connection with the people you love because avoiding them altogether can help strengthen more negative thoughts. depressed and to isolate yourself because no good memories can be created.
“Instead, avoiding getting yourself locked up in a place where you can only succeed in depression or anxiety (our worst fears). In that way, it is important to start with gratitude for the person in the mirror who always shows himself.”
Baptist said if you’ve had a tough year, it can be hard to think of big things to be thankful for.
“I think it’s the first, most important thing to recognize and accept any stress and pain that we’ve heard this year and show ourselves compassion. Now know that we’re not alone because there are others. The awareness that there is a collective pain in our community can help reduce our isolation and loneliness and this sense of unity can help us rise above our suffering. feel we have the strength to continue.
“So if we know someone who’s trying to feel grateful, stay with them and let them know they’re not alone. This gives them something to be grateful for – your presence and your care.”
Don’t let politics rob you of time with loved ones
Thanksgiving Day will be three weeks after Election Day.
“The elephant in the room at most Thanksgiving dinner tables this year will be the election, if we let it be,” Nawalanic said. “There is no doubt that this was one of the worst and most divisive campaigns we have ever seen. We owe it to ourselves and to others to push beyond that and find a relationship of If not, we make the choice to allow politics to rob us of time and people who are undoubtedly important to us.
“We should thank each other and be thankful to live in a society that allows us to take a day to meet and share loving gratitude. There are 364 more days to fight the battle for right or wrong. We are all do our best not to invite evil to our family table.
“I promise you that it will fill your soul and support you more than posting a zinger or posting something unexpected that you took on social media. In the spirit of John and Yoko, ‘Let’s give peace a chance .’
Jason Alatidd is a Statehouse reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached by email at jalatidd@gannett.com. Follow him to X @Jason_Alatidd.
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