Reflections on Gratitude as 2025 Ends!
As we approach the end of 2025, I find myself reflecting on gratitude and what I'm most grateful for this past year. According to a meta analysis of the effects of gratitude interventions, psychologists have spent the last two decades studying this simple practice and consistently find that small, steady moments of gratitude are linked with better mood, less stress, and greater life satisfaction, even when life is objectively hard.
Being grateful is a mindset, and it doesn't come naturally, nor is it easy, particularly when we're inundated with negative news and the constant FOMO that comes from scrolling social media. Researchers see the same pattern in the lab: our brains are wired to notice threats and problems first, so practices that deliberately call out what is going right act as a small counterweight to that bias. According to a review by Wood et al. (2010), gratitude is a practice worth cultivating, and like any practice, it requires intention and consistency; in many studies, benefits begin to show up after just a few weeks of regular, low‑effort exercises.
How to Access a Gratitude Practice
Start small and specific. Focus on specific moments or details rather than broad generalizations. Instead of "I'm grateful for my family," try "I'm grateful for the conversation I had with my daughter yesterday." In research trials, the people who name concrete, vivid details—who, what, when—tend to report bigger boosts in positive emotion than those who stay vague. Kubo et al. (2021) describes that specificity helps the brain re‑experience the moment and strengthens the memory, which may be one reason gratitude lists improve mood more than generic affirmations.
Create a daily ritual. Consistency matters more than perfection. One of my rituals is appreciating the quiet of the morning, the craftsmanship of my handmade mugs (Rebekah gave me a beloved one for Christmas), and how good the coffee tastes in it. Many studies use brief daily or “most days” rituals, like writing down three good things, for 2–8 weeks and find small but reliable gains in happiness and reductions in symptoms of depression and anxiety. These rituals work even when they take just a few minutes, especially when they are tied to an existing routine like morning coffee or bedtime.
Notice the ordinary. My 89-year-old dad gave me a great example of this the other day. When I asked, "Hey dad, how are you?" he replied, "Today is a good day... I'm alive another day." This quiet, ordinary noticing appears to buffer against stress by reminding us that good moments still exist alongside the difficult ones.
Limit comparison. Social media makes gratitude nearly impossible when we're constantly comparing our lives to curated highlight reels. Consider setting boundaries around your scrolling time. Research on social media and well‑being shows that upward comparison (watching others’ “best of” moments) reliably increases envy and depressive symptoms, while practices like gratitude journaling have the opposite, if modest, effect. Creating intentional “off‑screen” spaces makes more room to notice what is genuinely good in your own life rather than what you think you’re supposed to have.
Allow gratitude and grief to coexist. You don't have to wait until everything is perfect to practice gratitude. My daughter didn't make it home for Christmas this year, but I was grateful for the special time we spent together a couple of weeks ago shopping for food at the farmer's market and making a delectable meal together. Clinical studies during high‑stress periods, including the pandemic, suggest that gratitude does not suppress difficult emotions but can sit alongside them, helping people feel more grounded and hopeful even when anxiety or sadness remain. In fact, some research finds that people who can acknowledge both pain and gratitude report greater resilience and post‑traumatic growth after hard experiences (Kubo et al., 2021).
This Year, I Am Grateful For:
I am grateful for a loving family and healthy children who are each finding their way as young adults. I'm grateful that they are good and kind people navigating the world with integrity.
I am grateful for my husband, whose love is precious and real. His partnership means everything to me.
I am grateful for the lifelong friendship I have had with my friend Anda and the opportunity to have spent some time with her this year.
I am grateful for my business partner, Rebekah Jordan, for being such a good human and partner in this hard work of supporting people who are often in crisis. As solution finders together, I appreciate her creativity, intelligence, and compassion. I can't think of anyone I'd rather be doing this work with.
I am grateful for the colleagues with whom I work, mental health professionals and other therapeutic consultants, for their collaboration and partnership in helping people. I have met (and now call friends) some of the most extraordinary humans in this field of work.
And I am grateful to all of our clients for putting their trust and confidence in me and our process. It is an absolute honor to work with your families. Thank you for allowing me into your lives during some of your most challenging moments.
As we move into 2026, I hope you'll consider what gratitude practice might look like for you. It doesn't have to be elaborate or time-consuming.
In the studies, the practices that worked best were often the simplest, three good things at night, a short weekly gratitude letter, a quiet moment with morning coffee, as long as they felt genuine (Gruning et al, 2023).
Happy New Year!
References:
Grüning, P., & Moreno-Peral, P. (2023). The effects of gratitude interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Psychology Review, 103, 102285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102285
Kerr, S. L., O’Donovan, A., & Pepping, C. A. (2015). Can gratitude and kindness interventions enhance well-being in a clinical sample? Journal of Happiness Studies, 16(1), 17–36. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-013-9492-1
Killen, A., Macaskill, A., & McCrossan, M. (2016). Developing a gratitude intervention for use with older adults. Counselling Psychology Review, 31(4), 46–57.
Kubo, T., Nittono, H., & Shimai, S. (2021). Effects of gratitude intervention on mental health and well-being among workers: A systematic review. Journal of Occupational Health, 63(1), e12290. https://doi.org/10.1002/1348-9585.12290
Kushlev, K., Dwyer, R., & Dunn, E. W. (2020). The social price of constant connectivity: Smartphones and social media use as predictors of social comparison and loneliness. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 37(1), 54–66. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407519851555
Ng, Z. J., Lim, M., & Ang, C. S. (2023). The impact of a gratitude intervention on mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: A randomized controlled trial. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being, 15(2), 431–453. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12359
Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: Empirical validation of interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410–421. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.5.410
Wood, A. M., Froh, J. J., & Geraghty, A. W. A. (2010). Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 890–905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.03.005
