Blog Posts
Gratitude: The Secret Weapon for Enjoying the Holiday Season
Hey everyone! Welcome back!
In this week’s blog I wanted to take a moment, as the Holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and more) is quickly approaching, to remind ourselves of something very important…GRATITUDE.
Sometimes people feel that those around us who “always see the world through rose colored glasses” are just fake and “young hippies.” Well, let’s take a closer look at that concept.
Why Gratitude Isn’t Just for Hippies Anymore
Your brain is a drama queen (literally) – yeah even for you men out there! Haha!!!!
It loves to zoom in on the one burnt roll while ignoring the 47 perfect ones. This negativity bias kept our cave-ancestors alive (predator! run!), but it’s a terrible party guest.
Gratitude flips the script. It’s like giving your brain a pair of rose-colored glasses—except these are prescription-strength and backed by fMRI scans. Not only can we “see” the results with technology, but we can FEEL them and SEE them in others around us if we look hard enough.
The Science, Served Hot
Harvard found that writing down three things you’re grateful for every night for two weeks rewires your brain to scan for positives. (Yes, even when your sister or best-friend live-tweets your awkward moments.).
I would add MORE to that! Not only can we write them down, but we need to EXPRESS them verbally to someone as well. This really adds a “steroid” to the process – as it adds the ENERGY to the gratitude process!
UC Davis showed gratitude journals reduce symptoms of depression by 35% in chronically ill patients.
Neuroscience bonus: Gratitude boosts dopamine and serotonin. It’s basically a legal happy pill you can’t overdose on.
The Thanksgiving Edition: 5 Gratitude Hacks That Don’t Suck
1. The “One-Word Text” Game Text various people during the day with just one word (for fun): “Pumpkin.” “Laugh.” “Heat.” “Snowball.” “Glitter.” “Santa.” They reply with their word. Boom—micro-doses of connection without the small-talk torture. See who can make each other laugh the most!
2. The “Burnt Marshmallow” Reframe Something went wrong? (Flight delayed, pie collapsed, Uncle Rick or Aunt Karen started a political rant.)
Find the silver lining: “At least I’m not the pie.”
Bonus points: Say it out loud. Laughter is gratitude’s chaotic cousin.
3. The “Secret Santa for Your Brain”. Write 3 things you’re grateful for about yourself on sticky notes. Hide them (mirror, wallet, fridge).
Future-you gets surprise love bombs. (Pro tip: “I didn’t murder anyone at dinner” or “I didn’t slap that person driving in front of me” counts.)
4. The “Gratitude Playlist” (Yes, Really) Make a 5-song playlist of tracks that make you feel alive.
Play it while doing dishes. Suddenly, scrubbing pans = dance party.
Suggested starter: “Thank U” by Alanis Morissette (because irony is festive).
5. The “Leftovers Gratitude” Ritual. Day after Thanksgiving? Open the fridge. Name one thing you’re grateful for about each leftover.
Example: “Turkey, you gave me sandwiches for a week. Cranberry sauce, you’re basically dessert pretending to be healthy. You mean I get more mashed potatoes?!?!?”
When Gratitude Feels Fake (Because Sometimes It Does)
Look, if you’re grieving, broke, or just done with 2025, “be grateful” can feel like a slap to the groin. That’s normal.
Start microscopic: “I’m grateful this coffee is hot.”
“I’m grateful my socks match.”
“I’m grateful I didn’t throw my laptop during that Zoom call.”
“I’m grateful I have hot water and can take a long shower or bath.”
Tiny truths build momentum. Fake it till your brain makes it.
Your 3-Day Holiday Gratitude Challenge
Day 1: Snap a photo of something mundane that sparks joy (ugly sweater, dog in a Santa hat, perfectly peeled orange). Caption it #GratitudeOnSteroids.
Day 2: Tell one person (text, whisper, skywrite) something specific you appreciate about them. “Your laugh sounds like carbonated joy.”
Day 3: At dinner, start a “Rose, Bud, Thorn” round:
Rose = something good today.
Bud = something you’re looking forward to.
Thorn = something hard (then watch the table collectively reframe it).
The Parting Gift
This holiday season, you don’t need more stuff. You need a brain that remembers the good when the bad screams loudest. Gratitude isn’t about ignoring pain—it’s about making space for joy next to it. Like letting the pumpkin or apple pie and the existential dread share the same plate.
Be obnoxiously, ridiculously, unapologetically grateful. Your brain will thank you. (And maybe even Aunt Karen will chill.) It’s OK to be a hippie at times!
Enjoy the Holiday season, you truly deserve it!
Until next time,
Aaron Nicolaides, Ph.D., LCSW
Therapeuo Health – “Tackling physical and emotional pain”