Written by: Anita Avedian, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
The holidays are approaching!! It's the time of the year that we all welcome love and cheer and what says love and cheer like a Friendsgiving holiday party? For many of us, friends make up our family dynamic, and to show our gratitude and thankfulness we gather and break bread.
What is a Friendsgiving?
A Friendsgiving is a Thanksgiving celebration that has your closest friends, to share moments of gratitude for the year. As opposed to a traditional Thanksgiving gathering that is usually catered to only one's family, friends come together to share and give thanks to one another's role in each other's life. Which is why the name of the Holiday is “Friends” and “Giving”. The party, dinner, or gathering can be during any time during the month of November.
Importance of Friendship?
Friendships provide support and care that can be felt throughout a lifetime. Often friends are the family you didn’t choose, however they love you just the same. Friends can create a space for you to be seen and encourage you to be your best self. Friendships can create an immense sense of belonging and bring happiness to many situations that occur in life while challenging unhealthy beliefs and behaviors. Friends can have an integral impact on an individual's mental health and overall enjoyment by being a part of an individual's emotional support. Having a good friend can reduce stress levels, provide peace and comfort, build self-esteem, and prevent boredom or isolation. Developing long-lasting and authentic friendships with people who can communicate and share in positivity can have a great impact on your mental and physical health. Plus, it is comforting to have a few friends in your inner circle who are committed to improving your life and vice versa.
Why should you have a Friendsgiving?
Friendsgiving provides a unique opportunity to make holiday memories with people that bring you joy. You can share gratitude and celebrate your way with your squad. Spending quality time with your friends can help beat the stress that holidays can often bring with family. It is a break from the regular traditions of the holidays and for you to create your own tradition with people you naturally want to spend time with.
Types of Friendsgiving Dinner Party:
In-person
Virtual
What do you do for Friendsgiving?
A Friendsgiving is a celebration, so nothing brings people together better than food, laughter, music, and games. The most important thing to remember is not to stress, the event is about gratitude and thankfulness. To avoid stress and not spending a lot of time or money, create a dinner where everyone is assigned to bring one cooked or purchased food item. Ultimately, it's a dinner party with some of your favorite people. Don't overthink decor, you can put up a few pumpkins and fall colored balloons and the gathering is ready to commence. If the event is virtual, no worries, you can still have a b,last with your friends by talking and playing games. For games virtually or in-person, think of games that will engage the room and allow for sharing to deepen relationships, togetherness, or create space for laughter. Do what you want, but in everything be thankful to be together and show love.
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Anita Avedian, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Anita Avedian is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (License # LMFT 38403) and has been practicing psychotherapy since 1996. She is the Executive Director of Avedian Counseling Center and has offices in Sherman Oaks, Glendale, Woodland Hills, and Pasadena. Her specialties include working with relationships, anger, social anxiety, general anxiety, and addictions. She also has been certified as a Thought Field Therapist (TFT) and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), both which she integrates into her practice.
Outside of therapy, Anita offers a monthly anger management certification program to counselors. Anger Management Essentials is an approved National Anger Management Association (NAMA) model which is used for anger management certification. Moreover, Anita is an Authorized NAMA Trainer and Anger Management Supervisor for certifying anger management specialists. She authored Anger Management Essentials, a workbook for aggression, which has been translated into Spanish, Armenian, and Hebrew, as well as the teen’s workbook which has been translated into Spanish. Anita is the co-Founder of ShrinkSync, the app for therapists, the California Chapter of the NAMA which is the California Chapter of Anger Management Providers, and the Founder of Toastmasters for Mental Health Professionals.
