Not Another Gratitude Post (…Except This One Is Different)

I wasn’t planning on writing a gratitude post—it can feel a little trite or overdone this time of year. Everywhere we turn, gratitude is pushed: woven into Thanksgiving traditions, holiday messaging, and the familiar calls to “focus on what matters.” Sometimes it lands beautifully… and sometimes it just feels like another task on an already full to-do list.

But then I came across a different way to practice gratitude that I wanted to share. Because gratitude is genuinely helpful—research shows it can boost well-being, steady the nervous system, strengthen relationships, and shift our attention toward what’s meaningful.

And this particular practice does something refreshing: it moves gratitude from a solo activity to a shared, interactive one.

Most gratitude practices are individual: journaling, end-of-day reflections, guided meditations. They’re lovely and effective, but they can also subtly reinforce the idea that well-being is achieved alone… that if we just try harder, think differently, or fix ourselves, we’ll feel better.

This activity offers a gentle counter to that. It reminds us that gratitude is deeply relational: it grows in connection, in community, in seeing what matters to the people around us. It’s also a grounding response to the “do more, buy more, be better” messages that swirl during this season—an invitation to slow down, reconnect, and appreciate the simple things that sustain us.

So, if you’re gathering with other people in the coming weeks—friends, colleagues, family, chosen family, or kids—here’s a warm, playful way to bring everyone into the practice together. It’s called Silent Gratitude Mapping, created by Rachel Colla and shared through PositivePsychology.com. Below are two ways to try it: a simple group version and a kid-friendly creative version.

Silent Gratitude Mapping

Standard Group Version (Adults or Mixed Ages)

1. Set up
Place a large sheet of paper (or a whiteboard) in the center of the table with several colored markers.

2. Reflect
Take a few quiet minutes to think about the things in your life you’re grateful for.

3. Write
Write each item on the paper and draw a heart or circle around it.
From each one, draw a line outward and write why you’re grateful for it.

Example:
Write “Health” and add “because it gives me energy to play with my grandkids.”

4. Connect
Look around at what others have written and notice shared themes.
Draw lines connecting your items—or your reasons—to someone else’s when there’s overlap.

A web of connection begins to form through themes like support, love, belonging, or care.

Example:
One person writes “My Friends” and another writes “My Dad.”
The person who wrote “My Friends” included the reason “supporting me in difficult times.”
The person who wrote “My dad” also shares that reason, so they too draw a line to it.

5. Discuss
Share what you noticed or learned.
Leave the poster up as a visual reminder of your group’s collective gratitude.

Kid-Friendly / Creative Version

1. Use cut-out shapes
Hearts, stars, leaves—anything fun.

2. Write or draw
Kids (and adults) write or draw what they’re grateful for on each shape.
Add “why,” just like in the group version.

3. Connect the shapes
Use string, yarn, ribbon, or tape to create a gratitude garland.
Link shapes together when items share similar reasons or feelings.

4. Display it
Hang it in a hallway, across a mantle, or on a wall as a visual reminder of shared gratitude.

During a season that can feel hectic or emotionally full, this group-focused gratitude practice can help deepen relationships, broaden perspectives, and highlight the ways our lives are interconnected. It’s a shared reminder of what supports us, nourishes us, and fills our lives with meaning.