Practice Gratitude During the Holidays
Here’s something you don’t often hear from therapists this time of year: Gratitude does not have to be the focus of your holiday season. There. We said it. From mid-November through New Year’s, you’re surrounded by messages telling you to feel thankful, joyful, festive, and “in the spirit.” And when you don’t feel those things? You might experience something called “gratitude guilt”–that heavy feeling of “I should be grateful” even when your emotional reality says otherwise. If that resonates, you’re not alone. For many people, the holidays don’t always look like the picture-perfect scenes we see in ads or on social media. This season can stir up a mix of emotions: pressure to feel grateful, complicated family dynamics, loneliness, and envy. At the Quarterlife Center, we know that gratitude isn’t something you “should” feel. It’s meaningful only when it’s genuine, not when it’s forced. Here are a few compassionate practices to guide you through the holidays, without forcing posit...