The weather is getting colder and the semester is getting busier, but there are many things to appreciate as 2020 comes down to its final months.
This year has been a whirlwind of change and conflict, but it’s important to think of the appreciation it has given us. Take this time to reflect and be thankful for the things you have and what is to come. Here are my tips for spending your Thanksgiving break practicing mindfulness and finding new ways to be thankful for all the little things in your life.
Thanksgiving is the one major holiday that does not involve gifts, but rather focuses on simply appreciating the people, opportunities, and privileges we have in our lives. One of the most forgotten things to be thankful for is ourselves!
We put ourselves through so much – school, work, friendships, romantic relationships, social lives, etc. You deserve to give yourself more credit for all the accomplishments you have made thus far. One way to do this during our season of thankfulness is by starting your day with a little self-love and praise. You can stand in front of the mirror and tell yourself 3 things that you are thankful for each morning and it will eventually create a pattern of self-recognition and appreciation!
My favorite way to do this is by looking in the mirror when I first get out of bed in the morning – I know, the reflection can sometimes be scary when you have bed-head and bad breath – and tell myself 3 things I am thankful for. These praises might include:
“I am thankful that I woke up and am feeling healthy and happy this morning.”
“I am thankful that I get to wake up in this bed, in this room, which I decorated to create an extension of my personality.”
“I am thankful that I accomplished everything on my to-do list yesterday and allowed myself time to hang out with friends today.”
You can do this while looking in the mirror, standing under the water in the shower, or while in a yoga pose.
Try laying on your back either on a yoga mat or somewhere comfy on the ground with your palms facing up towards the sky.
This is a yoga pose called Shavasana, or Corpse Pose (makes sense, right?). You need absolutely no yoga experience to do this pose and though it seems simple, it can be one of the most relaxing poses to rest in while focusing on your thoughts.
In Corpse Pose, you can repeat reassuring thoughts to yourself while making a mental list of the things you are thankful for today.
This year has taken people from our families, lives, and celebrity figures we adored, but one way to show gratitude for those who continue to be in our lives is by reminding them how much they mean to us. Many URI students and people all over the world cannot visit family due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this does not mean we have to lose connection with the ones we love. If you are in a situation where Zoom or FaceTime is not an option, you can always go old-fashioned with your tokens of appreciation.
If any of you went to high school where “holiday grams” were a yearly tradition, you will know what I mean by this…
Think of your version of a “holiday gram”: whether it be a handwritten card, a developed photograph with a caption on the back, or even an email with an animated GIF or video attached.
The theme of this holiday gram is not Valentine’s Day or even Christmas (though many of us are already in the holiday mood), but rather is a “gram” dedicated to all the things we are thankful for associated with whom you are sending it to.
My favorite way to reconnect with family is by sending them emails or texts with GIFs, pictures, and videos to create a fun message with more emotion. There is no reason to let a bad webcam or faulty WiFi connection stop you from showing others you are thinking about them during your Thanksgiving!
Social media has been a distraction from the real world and all its chaos for many of us as well. Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and Tik Tok have consumed much of our free time and have possibly been distracting us when we are trying to focus. Over Thanksgiving break, many of us will be seeing family that we have not seen face-to-face for a while. Although it may be disheartening to know that seeing old friends and extended family is not the safest decision during a virus outbreak, our social media connections are growing stronger than ever.
If you have family and friends on Facebook, Instagram, or any other social media platform, creating your own social media “challenge” can be a fun way to feel connected again.
Start out by posting a picture on any social media site of your choosing and put in the caption something you are thankful for. This can be something like, “I am thankful that, through all of these hard times, I am able to stay connected with my loved ones through the internet.” Once you have your caption, tag someone else, and challenge them to post what they are thankful for along with challenging someone else. This can go on through many profiles and hopefully, you can start a chain of positive thoughts. You can even create a hashtag for them to use so that you can keep track of all the people posting!
If you use Twitter for this, you can start a thread and encourage people to retweet your post if you want to spread this idea even more.
Social media gives us the ability to keep in touch with those we love, regardless of the distance between us. Starting a thread of people, places, and experiences we are thankful for can hopefully help others and ourselves remember to appreciate the little things in our lives.
There are so many things to be thankful for and so many ways you can let this be known! Whether it is just reminding yourself of the reasons why you are awesome, sending love to others through a Thanksgiving holiday gram, or sharing your appreciation through social media, you can bring about so much positivity. These simple ideas can lead you towards a more optimistic outlook on life, as well as change your perspective on the things you take for granted. I hope you take this time to thank yourself each day for making it through so much change and you remind the ones you love how much you are grateful for their support and friendship.
If you create a hashtag or thread on social media, be sure to tag the @URICampusRec accounts so we can see what you are thankful for!
author: Jess T.
Hi everyone! I’m Jessica T., a senior here at URI majoring in Communications. After moving to Rhode Island from Southern Connecticut, I’ve now lived in Warwick for almost three years. Becoming a part of the Campus Recreation team has given me the opportunity to write blogs that enable myself and other students to relate and connect despite having limited time on campus. I have always loved writing and hope to have my work positively impact the lives of others! I also enjoy activities such as barre, sewing, and hiking. Rhode Island has become home for me and has brought me so many special experiences, especially during my time in college. The URI community is so welcoming and is always changing, so I am excited to represent our school through this blog!