November 1st is the beginning of National Gratitude Month and it provides us with the opportunity to actively embrace the power of gratitude.

Gratitude is the quality of being thankful, and being ready to show appreciation for kindness whilst displaying it to others. It is so much more than simply saying “thank you”. Gratitude has been proven to generate a positive impact on psychological, physical, and personal wellbeing. Practicing gratitude or reflecting on what you’re grateful for is an effective way to deal with life’s chaotic, stressful and tense moments.

Even more so, the Harvard Medical School highlights the findings of studies that show the power of gratitude. “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.”

There are a variety of ways to cultivate gratitude within your home and classroom setting, but here are some ideas to get you started:

• Create a special gratitude mini-journal to encourage writing down or drawing thankful thoughts.
• Set out 2-4 minutes at the same time each day to write down one thankful thought
• Block out 4-6 minutes to meditate and mentally think about things you are grateful for
• Give a friend or relative a hug or high-five
• Write a “thank-you” note to someone who means a lot to you or has impacted your life
• Compliment someone on one of their strengths
• Jot down one thing you’re thankful for in your phone’s note section right before bedtime
• Throw a thankful bash with friends or classmates

One thing I am thankful for is YOU for supporting ClassOrbit and the ClassOrbit team. Without you, there is no us. So…thank you!