As we step into this season of gratitude and togetherness, it's understandable if your heart feels heavy given the devastating wars and widespread suffering across the globe. Celebrating abundance and blessings may feel challenging against the backdrop of so much loss, trauma, and destruction experienced by others. Yet, we need ways to fortify our strength, resilience and compassion during difficult times.
Taking good care of ourselves and others strengthens us, which in turn, gives us all the best chance to find ways to make the world a brighter place. So, I encourage you to use this holiday weekend to celebrate and nurture yourself and others. For the good of the world. Here are three ways.
Embrace gratitude. Generously hold your family, friends, community and blessings a bit closer this season. Research shows that regularly practicing gratitude-15 minutes a day, five days a week — for at least six weeks fuels mental and physical health on every level. Focusing on the positive parts of your life has been proven to reduce depression, lessen anxiety, support heart health, relieve stress, and improve sleep. And who couldn't use more of that?
Embrace kindness. The truth is everybody is struggling on some level with something, so practicing kindness is a way of contributing to healing in the world–one encounter at a time. As reported by the Mayo Clinic, kindness can increase your sense of connectivity with others, decrease loneliness, combat low mood and improve relationships. It also can be contagious, encouraging others to join in with their own generous deeds. So, warmly offer a smile to the stranger passing you on the street, and be compassionate and curious when speaking with friends and family, recognizing that everyone is carrying many worries and burdens these days.
Embrace self-care. Long holiday weekends are wonderful times to catch up on sleep, relaxation, and renewal, that we are often in great need of. Don’t feel guilty taking time for yourself—the better we take care of ourselves, the lower our stress, the higher our energy, the clearer our minds and the greater capacity we have to give to others. So, Use my S.E.L.F. formula this weekend (Sleep, Exercise, Love, and Fun) to balance your time between the various sources of renewal that fortify your mind and soul.
This Thanksgiving weekend, give yourself permission to restore and renew your spirit.
By embracing gratitude, kindness, and self-care, you will give strength to yourself and to those around you, all positive steps toward our collective need to create a kinder, gentler world.