Stop saying “it’s not a big deal” when someone thanks you. Let it land. They meant it.

Waving off thanks sounds like modesty and works as a refusal. The other person gathered themselves up to say something real, and brushing it aside tells them the thing they were grateful for did not count, which quietly takes their gratitude off them. Receiving well is a skill almost nobody practises. Letting it sit is more generous than being casual about it.

The next time somebody thanks you, say you are glad you could help, then stop talking. No shrug, no joke. Let the pause be slightly awkward, and notice that they look relieved rather than embarrassed.