Thankful and Anxious: When Gratitude Feels Hard

Written By Laura Condenanza

You can be grateful and still feel anxious. Gratitude and anxiety can coexist, meet yourself with compassion in both

This season reminds us to be grateful — but sometimes, gratitude and anxiety live in the same space. You can love your life and still feel uneasy. You can be thankful and still worry. Gratitude doesn’t erase the hard parts; it simply reminds you that something good can exist beside them.

If gratitude feels forced, start small. Notice one steady thing — your morning coffee, a deep breath, a moment of quiet. You don’t have to feel thankful for everything, just something.

You can be both: anxious and grateful, tired and proud, overwhelmed and still hopeful. Gratitude isn’t about perfection; it’s about presence — finding small moments that whisper, you’re okay right now.

Laura Condenanza
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