Uploaded November 2025 | Updated September 2026, 17 minutes ago
→ Download the 1-1-1 Gratitude Practice! tinyurl.com/mr9c3v36
Most of us were taught to “be grateful.” But if you’ve ever written a gratitude list and felt nothing, you’re not alone—and you’re not doing it wrong. You’re just missing the part that actually changes the brain.
In this special Thanksgiving-week episode of Relish, Alyssia Sheikh dives into the real neuroscience of gratitude: how taking 10–20 seconds to actually feel a good moment is what rewires your emotional patterns, shifts the negativity bias, and signals safety to your nervous system. This isn’t a bypass, and it’s not about pretending everything is fine. It’s about giving your brain a chance to register what is good too.
You’ll learn why gratitude activates parasympathetic pathways (“rest-and-receive”), boosts dopamine and serotonin, supports immunity and sleep, and helps you show up to the holidays grounded and intentional. Alyssia also shares a 90-second guided practice, a beautifully simple 1–1–1 daily gratitude ritual, and practical ways to pair gratitude with boundaries—so you can bring presence into real life, not just onto paper.
✨ In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why gratitude is a state of being, not a list
- How 10–20 seconds of “staying with it” rewires your brain (experience-dependent neuroplasticity)
- The science behind why gratitude softens the negativity bias
- How to practice gratitude without minimizing your real feelings
- A 90-second guided embodiment practice
- A 1–1–1 Gratitude & Appreciation ritual you can use with partners, kids, or at the holiday table
- How gratitude + boundaries help you navigate challenging family dynamics
💭 Reflection:
What’s one tiny moment in the past 24 hours that brought you ease, warmth, or connection? And what happens when you let your nervous system stay with that for just a few seconds longer?
Show Notes: tinyurl.com/mr36wb3w
📱 IG → instagram.com/alyssiasheikh
📺 YouTube → youtube.com/@AlyssiaSheikh
💌 Newsletter → alyssiasheikh.com
🎥 TikTok → tiktok.com/@alyssiasheikh
✨ Work with Alyssia → alyssiasheikh.com/work
📧 Email me: alyssia@alyssiasheikh.com
☎️ Call our hotline and leave a voicemail! (213) 632-9972
#gratitude #neuroscience #mindfulnesspodcast #thanksgiving #gratitudepractice #relaxation #nervoussystemregulation #alyssiasheikh #RelishPodcast
→ Download the 1-1-1 Gratitude Practice! tinyurl.com/mr9c3v36
Most of us were taught to “be grateful.” But if you’ve ever written a gratitude list and felt nothing, you’re not alone—and you’re not doing it wrong. You’re just missing the part that actually changes the brain.
In this special Thanksgiving-week episode of Relish, Alyssia Sheikh dives into the real neuroscience of gratitude: how taking 10–20 seconds to actually feel a good moment is what rewires your emotional patterns, shifts the negativity bias, and signals safety to your nervous system. This isn’t a bypass, and it’s not about pretending everything is fine. It’s about giving your brain a chance to register what is good too.
You’ll learn why gratitude activates parasympathetic pathways (“rest-and-receive”), boosts dopamine and serotonin, supports immunity and sleep, and helps you show up to the holidays grounded and intentional. Alyssia also shares a 90-second guided practice, a beautifully simple 1–1–1 daily gratitude ritual, and practical ways to pair gratitude with boundaries—so you can bring presence into real life, not just onto paper.
✨ In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why gratitude is a state of being, not a list
- How 10–20 seconds of “staying with it” rewires your brain (experience-dependent neuroplasticity)
- The science behind why gratitude softens the negativity bias
- How to practice gratitude without minimizing your real feelings
- A 90-second guided embodiment practice
- A 1–1–1 Gratitude & Appreciation ritual you can use with partners, kids, or at the holiday table
- How gratitude + boundaries help you navigate challenging family dynamics
💭 Reflection:
What’s one tiny moment in the past 24 hours that brought you ease, warmth, or connection? And what happens when you let your nervous system stay with that for just a few seconds longer?
Show Notes: tinyurl.com/mr36wb3w
📱 IG → instagram.com/alyssiasheikh
📺 YouTube → youtube.com/@AlyssiaSheikh
💌 Newsletter → alyssiasheikh.com
🎥 TikTok → tiktok.com/@alyssiasheikh
✨ Work with Alyssia → alyssiasheikh.com/work
📧 Email me: alyssia@alyssiasheikh.com
☎️ Call our hotline and leave a voicemail! (213) 632-9972
#gratitude #neuroscience #mindfulnesspodcast #thanksgiving #gratitudepractice #relaxation #nervoussystemregulation #alyssiasheikh #RelishPodcast
