Why Celebrating World Gratitude Day in 2020 Is So Important
It's absolutely no secret this year has been THE WORST! And while it's super easy to get bogged down in everything that sucks about the world today, that's exactly why it's important to celebrate World Gratitude Day this year.
World Gratitude Day originated in the mid 1960s in Hawaii, according to the website daysoftheyear.com. It's celebrated on the 21st of every September as a way to "formally express gratitude and appreciation for the many wonderful things to be found in the world."
When you exercise "an attitude of gratitude", as they say, it not only gives you (and likely the people and things you are grateful for) a boost of esteem, but it can actually be beneficial to your health, way more so than dwelling on the negative.
"Being thankful results in a whole host of emotional and physical benefits. For instance, you can boost your immune system, lower stress levels and improve sleep by being thankful."
Now, most people do take some time, usually around Thanksgiving, to think of the things they are thankful for, but I think we could use more than one occasion this year to recognize the good over the bad.
Along with ideas such as keeping a "gratitude journal" of things you are appreciative of each day, and spending time helping those who are less fortunate than yourself, another idea on how celebrate this day is by sharing a meal with your loved ones, and having them share with you what they are grateful for. This is something we do in my family, especially when we've had a really rough week or rough day. If I can tell the kids are in need of an attitude adjustment, while we sit down at dinner together, I have them share with me something they're grateful for in their life, and something they're grateful for with regards to their siblings and parents. I always lead by sharing my thoughts first. It's a pretty effective way to redirect negative thinking, when you can't get perspective back on your own.
That's why I think that celebrating World Gratitude Day, especially in light of all the negativity around the globe at the moment, is more important than ever. It's a chance to help snap us out of our negative way of thinking for a moment, and a way to help us to take stock of what is good, rather than the bad, in our lives.
So what are you grateful for?
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