A Calmer, Kinder Way to Approach Thanksgiving

Gratitude Feeling Forced? Try This Instead.

Appreciation in Action: A Thanksgiving Experiment

Thanksgiving can stir up a lot—warmth, nostalgia, stress, joy, overwhelm… sometimes all at once. And while we hear a lot about gratitude this time of year, feeling grateful on command isn’t always easy.

Lately, I’ve been exploring the difference between gratitude and appreciation, and how appreciation can gently bring us back to presence—especially during a busy, emotionally loaded holiday.

This week on the podcast, I’m sharing a short, bite-sized episode (under 8 minutes!) about a simple Thanksgiving experiment I’m trying.

It’s all about treating appreciation like a game.

• Not forcing ourselves to feel a certain way.
• Not performing gratitude because the calendar says we should.
• Just noticing small moments, seeing people as they really are, and offering appreciation in ways that feel genuine.

In the episode, I walk through how I’m approaching this experiment and a couple of easy ways you can try it too—without adding anything heavy or complicated to your day.

For a gentle reset heading into Thanksgiving, this little episode might be exactly what you need.

If you missed last week’s conversation about the difference between gratitude and appreciation, you can Listen Here or watch it on YouTube.