Gratitude isn’t just for Thanksgiving

Code Switch

NPR

Society & Culture

4.6 • 14.5K Ratings

🗓️ 29 November 2025

⏱️ 17 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

For the millions of Americans that celebrate Thanksgiving, it's a time when many people reflect on the things and the people in our lives that they appreciate. But according to Dr. Laurie Santos, psychology professor at Yale and host of the podcast, The Happiness Lab, a practice of gratitude can improve our lives year-round. This week on the pod, we're bringing you a conversation from our friends over at It's Been A Minute. Host Brittany Luse chats with Dr. Santos about the surprising science of how gratitude can affect our brains — and how it leads us to be more generous with our future selves.

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Transcript

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0:44.4	Hey everyone, you're listening to Code Switch. I'm B.A. Parker. Right, here we are, folks.
0:51.2	The weekend after Thanksgiving. A holiday that's dedicated to being grateful.
0:57.6	And I know that sometimes it can be difficult because is it really Thanksgiving?
1:03.2	If the family gathering isn't messy, if, you know, your cousins aren't getting into a fight about the violent colonial history of the holiday.
1:12.8	Or, you know, if the weekend doesn't kick off a whole season of flight delays and travel nightmare stories.
1:21.9	Well, I'm here to tell you that, yes, it can be Thanksgiving without those things.
1:29.1	And even if your holiday is tough and complicated, believe me, I know how it goes.
1:34.6	I want to offer an opportunity to take a deep breath, in through the nose, out through the mouth, and reset.
1:44.4	Today, I've got a little treat for you from our friends over at It's Been a Minute.
1:49.4	Brittany Luce talks to psychology professor Dr. Lori Santos about the benefits of feeling and practicing gratitude.
2:02.7	Dr. Lori Santos, welcome to It's Been a Minute.
	...

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