Your Student Life: Being Thankful

November 20, 2023

Pause just a moment and ask yourself, “What am I thankful for?”

Your answer can be as deep as the love of friends and family or as fleeting as a few days away from classes, but the important thing is to take a moment to practice gratitude.

You may have answered that question over the Thanksgiving break, but it ought to be a year-round exercise. It should be part of your daily life. 

Identifying that for which we are grateful is an important step in recognizing all that we have been given, all that we have been fortunate to have the opportunity to work for and all those who have helped us along the way. It’s good for our mental health and good for our outlook on life.  

If you’d like to get started, here are some ideas. Write a gratitude letter to someone, and read it to them. Savor the good things in your life, big and small, and then write them down in a gratitude journal. Go beyond the obvious when considering what you are thankful for, since good comes even in adversity.  

Gratitude for things in your life not only helps you appreciate where you have been, it also helps ensure that you will have things to be thankful for in your future.

Research shows that gratitude enhances empathy, reduces aggression and can even help you sleep better. Taking the time to mindfully notice that you are grateful to someone provides a better connection to the world around you.   

Being grateful, however, is just the first step. It’s also important, and kind, to let those for whom you are grateful know that they have a special place in your thoughts and heart.  

Student Life has a webpage that can help. Kind.osu.edu has a place where you can send kudos to anyone. I urge you to think about who you are grateful for, and then use that website to let them know how much you appreciate them.   

It could be someone who makes you smile, a classmate who pitched in to help with a project or someone you’ve noticed being kind to others. Who has helped you get through the semester? 

Now is the perfect time to let them know that you are Scarlet and Grateful at Kind.osu.edu. 

 

Office of Student Life