November Reset: Gratitude Through the Lens of TCM
- Allison Millar, LAc
- Nov 17
- 4 min read
If you’ve been reading my recent blog posts, you know that mindset is, above all, one of the most powerful tools we have in the healing process. How we speak to ourselves, what we focus on, and the small internal shifts we choose each day can create more change than we often realize.
November — with its quieter, reflective energy — is the perfect time to explore a practice that blends mindset, emotional wellness, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):Gratitude.
It’s also the time of year when many people begin to feel stress, fatigue, or emotional overwhelm. Gratitude helps buffer all of it.
In this post, we’ll explore how gratitude influences each of the Five Elements, the organ systems, and the movement of Qi (energy) within our bodies. And I’ll offer a short 5-minute gratitude exercise to try at home.
You may say, “I’m always practicing gratitude — I’m thankful all the time.”And I would respond: there is a huge benefit to practicing intentionally. When we consciously take time — even just five minutes — to pause and feel gratitude, it impacts us in a significantly more powerful way.
I often say in clinic, “What’s easy to do is easy not to do.” Gratitude is one of those practices. But when we understand how deeply it influences our physiology and emotions, we’re more encouraged to use it as a simple, yet powerful tool for our own healing.
How Gratitude Supports the Body in TCM
❤️ Heart (Fire Element): Anchors the Spirit (Shen)
In TCM, each organ system houses a spirit; the spirit of the Heart is the Shen.The Shen governs our consciousness, presence, emotional awareness, and our ability to connect. It is the most ethereal of the spirits — it reaches outward, allowing us to love people who may not be anywhere near us physically.
When the Shen is unanchored, we may experience:
Anxiety
Scattered thoughts
Restlessness
Difficulty feeling connected
(A manic state would be an extreme example.)
Practicing gratitude creates a gentle, grounded form of joy that anchors the Shen, allowing the internal state to settle so we can feel our emotions from a rooted, clear place.
🌿 Liver (Wood Element): Moves Stagnant Qi
The Liver is responsible for the smooth flow of Qi. When the Liver is overwhelmed — which is very common in the modern world — we may feel:
Tension or tightness
Irritability or frustration
The sensation of “too much to do, not enough time”
Knowing what we want but feeling blocked from moving toward it
Intentionally practicing gratitude softens the body so Qi can move more freely, easing the Liver’s workload. Gratitude acts like a gentle “anti-stagnation” emotion, helping release frustration and restoring flow. When Liver Qi moves better, we often see improvements in PMS, headaches, digestion, and overall stress.
🌏 Spleen (Earth Element): Nourishes and Grounds
The Spleen thrives when we feel steady, supported, and satisfied. Overthinking, worry, rumination, and perfectionism weaken the Spleen and disrupt digestion.
Gratitude naturally grounds the Spleen because it returns our attention to what is working. When we are present, there is no room for worry — no space for hypothetical problems or imagined outcomes.
The spirit of the Spleen is Yi, which governs clear thinking and the ability to focus. With a mindset of gratitude, our thoughts become clearer, emotional processing improves, and — because the gut and brain are so connected — digestion often improves as well.
🌬️ Lungs (Metal Element): Softens Grief and Supports Letting Go
Grief has a contracting quality — it can tighten the chest and leave us feeling closed or heavy.
Gratitude gently balances and expands this, giving us literal and emotional breathing room. It doesn’t replace grief; it creates space around it, allowing us to hold ourselves with more compassion. This softening helps emotions move naturally so we can release what no longer needs to be carried.
💧 Kidneys (Water Element): Strengthens Inner Stability and Willpower
Fear, insecurity, and uncertainty drain Kidney Qi.Gratitude reinforces inner safety, steadiness, and trust — all of which tonify the Kidneys.
With stronger Kidney Qi, we experience:
More resilience
Clearer willpower
A sense of being deeply rooted
Greater confidence in moving forward
This becomes especially important as we transition toward winter, when Kidney energy is most active.
Why November Is the Perfect Time for Gratitude
TCM follows the energetics of the seasons. Late fall invites reflection, slowing down, taking stock of the year, and preparing to enter winter more aligned. Gratitude harmonizes beautifully with this seasonal shift — helping the body release tension, regulate emotions, and cultivate inner strength.
A Simple 5-Minute Gratitude Exercise (Patient-Friendly)
This is my favorite way to begin or end the day, inspired byThe 5-Minute Gratitude Journal: Give Thanks, Practice Positivity, Find Joyby Sophia Godkin, PhD.
You can do this with or without the journal.
🌟 The 5-Minute Gratitude Reset
Write down 3 things you’re grateful for today.
Tiny things count — warm socks, a quiet moment, sunlight on your window.
Write one sentence about why each one matters.
This deepens the emotional impact and helps the Heart and Liver truly “feel” the shift.
End with a grounding statement.
Something like:
“I am supported. I am safe. I am moving gently in the direction of health and happiness.”
— or choose a phrase that resonates with your own healing journey.
Do this daily for one week and notice what shifts — your mood, tension level, sleep, or how your body holds stress.
Final Thought
Gratitude is not about ignoring the hard parts of life. It’s about giving your mind and body a place to settle, soften, and reconnect — which allows healing to unfold more easily.
I love TCM because it strengthens the health already inherent within the body, rather than focusing solely on disease. Gratitude works the same way. There is so much we can appreciate in each moment — just as there are countless things your body is doing every second to keep you alive and breathing. When we intentionally pause to connect with that, we amplify its power.
In summary, gratitude:
✨ Regulates all Five Elements
✨ Anchors the Shen
✨ Moves Liver Qi
✨ Nourishes the Spleen
✨ Opens the Lungs
✨ Strengthens the Kidneys
A small, consistent gratitude
practice can create ripple effects
throughout your entire system.
With sincere gratitude for you,
Allison, LAc
Owner & Acupuncturist, Basic Balance Acupuncture