Going around the table once a year is a fine tradition. Gratitude works better as a habit.
Research on gratitude suggests that small, regular moments of noticing what's good tend to do more for mood and outlook than one deep reflection a year, and a daily gratitude practice can improve mental health by reducing stress and boosting serotonin.
This year, take gratitude out of the greeting-card zone. Here are three ways to start.
Write a two-minute journal
Keep a notebook where you rest the most, by your bed or your favorite chair. At the beginning or end of each day, jot down one or two things you're thankful for. Complete sentences are optional. "Slept well" or "got inundated with puppy kisses" works perfectly. The point is consistency, not eloquence. No elaboration required.
Name three good things at bedtime
This one is like a gratitude journal, only less formal. Before you turn off the light, name three specific things that went well that day, however small. Specificity matters more than size: not "work was fine" but "Sam covered for me during that call." Say them aloud or keep them to yourself; the intention is the same either way.
Take a phone-free walk
As kids these days would say, go touch grass. Leave the phone behind for a short walk, just 10 or 15 minutes, and notice what is around you: cold air, a neighbor's porch lights, the smell of someone's fireplace. Each one pulls your attention outward instead of down at a screen.
Pick one
None of these has to last forever, and none has to be done perfectly. Think of it as a brief, repeatable habit that outlasts the holiday weekend. Pick one, try it for a week and see if it sticks. If it does, keep going. Call it a pre-New Year's resolution.
This story appears in the November 2026 issue of Stroll Providence.