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Thanksgiving is supposed to be fun, and for many of us, a sacred time to count our blessings. If we allow the pandemic to steal our joy, it can compromise our mental health and turn the season into a sad and scary time. This has been a stressful year, with most of us quarantined and working from home during the pandemic. We’ve faced ups-and-downs in the economy and the unease of political and racial unrest. Pandemic stress has led to a rise in anxiety and depression, and many working from home feel isolated and unappreciated. But we can still find ways to celebrate a stress-free Thanksgiving—no matter how dire the circumstances.
If you’re like most people, chances are, you’re itching to celebrate Thanksgiving like the good old days, but that could be a mistake. We might be through with the pandemic and ready to celebrate, but the pandemic isn’t through with us. Soaring COVID-19 cases have thrown a curveball into how many of us plan to celebrate. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is concerned that Thanksgiving could be a super spreader event if celebrated in the traditional way.
As you celebrate Thanksgiving, make sure you follow the guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for celebrating Thanksgiving. They urge vigilance over the holiday to prevent the spread of the virus and advise families not to gather in person, especially if loved ones are in high-risk categories. They also discourage travel because it increases our chances of getting and spreading COVID-19. Staying home is the best way to protect yourself and others. Think about it this way: It’s much better to have a Zoom Thanksgiving than an ICU Christmas.
Doubling Down
Doubling Down during one of the most celebrated times of the year is a bitter pill to swallow. But we might have to dig down a little deeper—not just into the turkey and dressing but into our hearts and souls—to name the things we’re grateful for when we can’t be with our loved ones on this special day. When we take the time, though, and really look closely the realization of abundance can mitigate separation anxiety and stress and bring peace of mind.
On October 30, 2020, the Monster network conducted a poll of 1,700 members of the American workforce to shed light on what workers are most thankful for this season. Not surprisingly, their findings showed most people (70%) are thankful for their health. And the majority (94%) said they were motivated by gratitude from managers. Other key grateful findings were:
- More than one-third of workers are thankful for having a job (35%) right now and a quarter of workers (25%) thankful to work remotely.
- The overwhelming majority of workers believe both that expressing gratitude at work helps ease stress and anxiety (97%) and receiving gratitude motivates their daily work (94%).
- The majority of workers (91%) agree that they express gratitude at their workplace, though sadly under half (46%) of workers do not feel that they are recognized for their contributions at work.
An Attitude of Gratitude
Perhaps the best way to cultivate gratitude this Thanksgiving is to want and feel grateful for what we already have. His Holiness the Dalai Lama says there are two ways to reach contentment.
One is to acquire everything we want and desire: an expensive house, sporty car, fashionable wardrobe, gourmet foods, perfect mate, exotic trips a perfectly toned body. The list is endless. The problem with this approach is that this type of wanting is a bottomless pit and never leads to contentment. Sooner or later, there will be something we want but can’t have—for many, an in-person Thanksgiving family gathering—no matter how hard we try to make it happen.
The second and more reliable approach to contentment is to want and feel grateful for what we already possess. When we have a strong sense of contentment, it doesn’t matter whether we obtain the object of your desire or not. We are content either way. When we focus on abundance, we have more of it.
Studies show that when we express gratitude, it raises our happiness by 25%. When we take a breath and step back, our heartfelt thankfulness for our blessings fills us up.
Make a list of the many things you’re grateful for—the people, places, and things that make your life rich and full, that bring you comfort and joy. After you’ve made your list, contemplate your appreciation for each item and visualize anything you’ve taken for granted—things, people, or even pets that if you didn’t have, would leave your life empty and meaningless.
As you practice this exercise, chances are you notice you’re more aware of how full your life might be. Seize your blessings, hold them close to your heart, and don’t let the small stuff distract you from the bigger, more important aspects of your life.
As COVID-19 cases reach an all-time high, a decision to skip the traditional family gathering might be one of the most loving gestures we can make this Thanksgiving. It’s an opportunity for all of us to be heroes, to do our part to “sacrifice” what we want, and to support other heroes who put their lives on the front lines for us every day. If we simply consider diminishing our wants by wanting what we have, then abundance and fulfillment are ours, and we have a lot to be thankful for.
