Thanksgiving is a day when many of us, collectively, contemplate and express gratitude for our blessings and the people in our lives. But an active practice of gratitude, one that lasts more than just one holiday, can do so much more. Robert Emmons, professor of psychology at UC Davis, and a leading scientific expert on the science of gratitude, explains that, “gratitude has the power to heal, energize and change lives.”

Many of us spend more time thinking about our problems rather than reflecting on what’s good and positive in our life. It makes sense, problems require solutions which takes focus and energy. However, utilizing the gratitude “muscle” can help us be more resilient at dealing with life’s challenges and disruptive events. I have learned that during tough times there is also space for gratitude.

Studies have shown that practicing gratitude leads to positive behavior and results in measurably happier and healthier lives.

You can read the specific findings in Dr. Emmon’s study: Counting Blessings Versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life. Gratitude has also been found to be at the foundation of service to others. Research has found that gratitude motivates and compels us to become more outgoing, compassionate, generous and altruistic.

So how do we do it? How do we strengthen our gratitude muscle? There are some evidence-based practices, such as journal writing, that can help cultivate a grateful mindset, but the best way is to start is by setting the intention — making a choice — to be open to and notice opportunities that you can be thankful for. In this way, the practice of gratitude can be integrated into everyday life and become a disposition rather than a response.

Keeping a gratitude journal is helpful because writing things down adds meaning and value to these thoughts and actions. Below are some other ways to help you get your gratitude glasses on this Thanksgiving.

Be Intentionally Thankful
Start your day with a gratitude meditation; take a few moments to pause and acknowledge all the goodness in your life and in the world, both tangible and intangible; recognize the source(s) of this goodness and remember that authentic gratitude enables you to appreciate and acknowledge all people, circumstances and things in your life — the good, the bad and the ugly as they say.
Be Kind & Volunteer
Whether you choose to help at a local shelter, deliver a meal or flowers to an elderly neighbor, volunteer to prepare (or wash) a Thanksgiving dish, or just smile and thank the hard-working cashier at the supermarket, acts of kindness bring us closer together and create community.
Digital Downtime
Put the phone down and turn off the television; carve out some no-screens-allowed time and spend it making memories with family and friends.
Head Outside
take a morning walk, a family hike, or walk off Thanksgiving dinner with an evening stroll. Just make time to head outside, observe and connect with nature, contemplate the expanse of the universe and how fortunate we are to experience all within it.
Eat Mindfully
Your Thanksgiving meal has probably been cooking all day, but it’s usually consumed in less than twenty minutes; take a moment to smell the food and see the beauty of the colors, truly taste and savor the food, and give thanks to the many that help make that possible — local farmers and organizations that support a sustainable lifestyle and the earth from which it came.