How to Defeat Gratefulness Anxiety Syndrome

"As we express our gratefulness, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."~John F. Kennedy (1917–1963

Picture the following scene:

It’s Thursday afternoon, your family and perhaps a friend or two are gathered around your dining room table enjoying yet another turkey sacrifice and you realize that it’s time to go around the table and "be grateful"– What are you feeling?

Do you find a sense of overflowing gratitude threatening to burst from your heart to your lips? Is it hard to wait your turn?

Or are you praying that Aunt Gertie or Cousin Phil has a long list so that you’ll have time to scrounge around deep inside your brain for a couple of things that you’re supposed to be thankful for? – "UH……my family and my uh…..health"

You’re not abnormal. You simply have a bad case of Gratefulness Anxiety Syndrome – Also known as GAS.

All of us have experienced GAS from time to time. What’s important is how often it happens and how severe it is.

Mild Gratefulness Anxiety Syndrome

In most people, mild GAS usually starts building up during Thanksgiving dinner. It’s uncomfortable for a few minutes, but it passes quickly when you mumble a few words and then go on eating.

The common solution:

• Don’t worry about it – It only happens once a year and everyone smiles and goes on about their life as if nothing happened.
• Be sure to keep your mouth full at all times so you can just mumble something like “frnds n fmly” and pass your GAS to the next person around the table.
• Pick a person, your mom or your youngest child, and smile at them as you say the words “my family”. Your kid will think you’re serious and your mom might give you an extra piece of pie.

Moderate Gratefulness Anxiety Syndrome

This kind of GAS is a bit more intense, causing increasing discomfort as the holiday approaches. The pressure usually begins building earlier in the week and doesn’t pass quite as easily or as quietly as mild GAS.

You begin worrying on Tuesday night. You know everyone else is going to say something like “friends, health, family, America, Salvation, etc……..” But you can’t think of anything really different and creative so you ignore the discomfort and move on.

Other symptoms include increased irritability and frustration around the family and friends you’re supposed to be thankful for. Your colleagues at work may begin to notice your uneasiness at this point.

The even more common solution:

Severe Gratefulness Anxiety Syndrome

Severe GAS doesn’t wait until November to arrive. It’s pretty much a constant presence in your life. Everything stinks and people can’t stand being around you.

By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, people with severe GAS are experiencing such strong discomfort that they might not even be able to attend Grandma’s dinner.

Some people become physically ill at the prospect of being grateful for anything at all. Depression is pretty common at this point as well as some pretty intense Anger.

The Leadership Solution:

• Take the time to find out what’s behind your emotional reaction to the prospect of giving thanks.
• It could be time to consider a change – change your focus to the lives of other people instead of yourself.
• Remember that gratitude grows stronger as it’s exercised. Take the time on a regular basis during the year to connect with someone else and thank them for their contribution to your life – give them a call, send a random card or go and visit them in person, tell them specifically how they’ve benefited your life.

Remember all of us experience a bit of GAS or Gratefulness Anxiety Syndrome from time to time. The secret is not to hold it in – let it go in small amounts from time to time and no one will even notice.

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