COMMUNICATING GRATITUDE

Love languages are all the rage these days. There is even a free quiz you can take to determine your love language! The great thing about the love languages is that they are rooted in research and psychology, so there is a scientific basis behind the why and how of them!

I’ve done some reading on the love languages and even taken that free quiz a couple of times and something I’ve noticed is that love isn’t the only emotion that has various “languages”.

It’s Thanksgiving week in the US. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Not because of the origins of the holiday but because it is the ONE week of the year where my kids and I all have 4 days off to relax and enjoy each other’s company. My husband has to work so we don’t see him too much (in case you’re wondering 😉).

No one has any activities or obligations, and we get to enjoy our own traditions of getting a Christmas tree on Black Friday, cooking our special Thanksgiving meal (which is very much a non-traditional Thanksgiving), and staying up as late as we want…yes, even the 6-year-old can stay up half the night if she wants (she rarely makes it past 11pm haha)!

Since it is the week for giving thanks, I wanted to share something with you that could help you express your gratitude more easily.

Gratitude is one of the most communicated emotions. A simple “thanks” is a conveyance of gratitude, but there are so many ways you can show someone you are grateful for them and/or their actions. Sometimes it can be challenging to figure out how to properly thank someone for saying or doing something nice for you.

Allow me to introduce the gratitude languages!

All this research on the love languages got me thinking about the ways that we convey other emotions. Fear, humor, gratitude. We all deal with and communicate them in different ways, but we don’t necessarily recognize that others communicate them differently.

Take a look at the gratitude languages and see which ones fit your style!

1. Handwritten note/card: This is my personal favorite. There is nothing better than giving or receiving a handwritten note or card! By taking the time to put pen to paper and write a few thoughts, you have shown the other person just how grateful you are. This is also a great gratitude language because it can be easier to put our feelings into written words than into spoken ones.

2. Gifts: Some people like to show gratitude through gifts. Small gifts as a token of appreciation are an amazing way to say “thank you” and when coupled with a handwritten note, you can’t go wrong!

3. Kind gesture: Another one of my favorite ways to show appreciation is to treat someone to a meal. Now this doesn’t have to be a fancy 7 course shindig. A simple coffee date or treating for breakfast is an amazing way to show someone your gratitude. Most of us are (or at least think we are) too busy to stop and grab a meal with someone, but by asking someone to brunch or out for a coffee you give them permission to slow down for a minute and show them your gratitude at the same time!

4. Physical: Where are my huggers? If you are a hugger, your gratitude language is physical contact. A hug, a high five, a fist-bump, or a pat on the back are all great ways to physically show gratitude and appreciation!

5. Verbal: Some people are skilled at adequately conveying gratitude via spoken words. For some people, this comes naturally, but for many others, speaking gratitude feels awkward. Luckily, there are 4 other ways to convey appreciation so don’t fret, there’s a gratitude language for you!

Thanks for stopping by! I’d love to know what your gratitude language is! Do you have more than one? A combination of all five? How do you think your gratitude language compares to others?

I hope this article helps you identify the ways that you best communicate gratitude and that you have a chance to put those gratitude languages to work this week!

From my family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving! I’m so grateful to each one of you for visiting each week, sharing my content, sending comments and messages, and supporting me!

Let’s connect! Head over to my resources page now! I can’t wait to connect with you!

I hope to see you soon!

Ciao for now!