Your Zen minute: For many of us, tomorrow’s holiday will not be like the Thanksgivings of past years. What will be the same, though, is the opportunity it offers to notice what you can feel grateful for. We cannot control the world and all the things that happen to us, but we can determine how we respond.

Are you feeling more mindful as the month winds down? How did last week’s exercises go? Here are your exercises for the next seven days:

Create a touch point Identify something you touch frequently — maybe your watch, your glasses, or a ring. Every time you touch this object, stop what you are doing and notice your surroundings. This is about making yourself pause and live in that particular moment, even if it’s only for a few seconds.

Mindful olfaction Smell something strong like coffee beans or perfume, and pay close attention to what happens in your nose, and then what feelings the scent evokes. Does it lift your mood? Or remind you of someone special? Appreciate how the object smells and how it makes you feel. Breathe it in deeply, without thinking of anything else.

Mindful gratitude “Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it,” said William Arthur Ward. Get in contact today with someone who has made a positive impact on your life and thank them. Your thank-you message can be sent in any form or delivered in person. No need to wrack your brain — it can be for anyone you think deserves a bit of your gratitude.

Secret virtue Today, do something nice for someone, but do it anonymously. It can be something very simple. Although the aim is to make someone else happy, you may also notice that your day becomes much more peaceful and invigorating.

M&M game Buy a pack of M&M’s. When you have a chance, sit down to enjoy them and say the following based on the color of each one you eat:

• Red One thing that makes you happy
• Blue One thing that makes you sad
• Green One thing that makes you angry
• Yellow One thing that makes you excited
• Brown One poor choice you made today and what you could have done differently
• Orange One good choice you made today

Mindful brushing Some things we do so often, we almost don’t notice them. Brushing your teeth is pretty automatic. This time, try to focus and really experience it. Notice how the brush moves over your teeth and the taste of the toothpaste. Brush your teeth mindfully, and you might be surprised what you notice.

Just one breath At some point during the day, take a moment to focus on one breath. Breathe in, then breathe out. Focus on how this feels, where you notice the air moving, how your chest and abdomen move.

Thanks for joining us for this month’s challenge! If you did any of the exercises, would love to hear from you. Let us know about it at shorelines@northshorebank.com. —Pat Ingelse, AVP, PMP