"With the season of Thanksgiving upon us, many of us instinctively reach for gratitude. We make lists, we gather with family, and we remind ourselves to appreciate what is good. But in recent years, gratitude feels harder to cultivate. And we are not imagining it. Psychologically, emotionally, and culturally, we are living through an unusually heavy time. We carry political conflicts that divide communities and family tables."
"And all of this arrives in a season that asks us to slow down, connect, and feel thankful. I've been feeling and thinking about this tension myself. Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday. It's historically been a day of simplicity for me, good food, family, and a sense of connection and warmth that didn't depend on gifts or elaborate planning."
Many people find gratitude harder to cultivate amid political division, distressing global news, climate anxiety, economic strain, grief, caregiver stress, mental illness, and daily overwhelm. The holiday season's call to slow down, connect, and feel thankful can clash with accumulated emotional weight. Personal and collective losses, shifting family roles, and ongoing societal strain reduce the holiday's luster for many. Emotional experience can hold multiple truths simultaneously; gratitude and sorrow can coexist. The nervous system supports emotional granularity, allowing individuals to feel and name more than one emotion at once. Recognizing this complexity supports healthier emotional responses during difficult times.
Read at Psychology Today
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