If you’re only showing gratitude to friends and family this Thanksgiving, you’re forgetting someone important

When I think about gratitude, I think about showing appreciation for the people who make your life great — your partner, your parents, your co-worker who’s always around to hear you complain about your other co-worker.

Thanks, guys!

But apparently, there’s someone else who needs your appreciation, as much or more than the rest of those people: You.

Don’t get squirmy, now. You don’t need to hug yourself or write yourself love notes (unless you want to) — you just have to recognise how hard you’re trying to be the person you want to be.

That’s according to Janice Kaplan, author of “The Gratitude Diaries,” a book that chronicles her yearlong effort to practice more gratitude in different areas of her life, from her marriage to her career.

Towards the end of the book, Kaplan recalls meeting a friend’s fitness trainer who incorporates this kind of self-gratitude into her work with clients. The trainer told Kaplan to thank herself daily, specifically for her efforts toward getting healthier.

“Dedicate five minutes of your day to believing you can do this and being thankful you can,” the trainer told Kaplan.