November 24, 2023
Learn about the transformative power of gratitude in recovery. Explore practical ways to integrate it into your daily life.
Gratitude means appreciating the pleasant things in your life. It helps you maintain an optimistic outlook and boost your resilience, especially during tough times. Gratitude in recovery is an important catalyst that drives positive changes in your mental and emotional health.
If you’re on your addiction healing journey, this blog is for you. We’ll talk about how embracing gratitude can act as a protective shield against relapse. We’ll also discuss how it helps mend strained relationships and contributes to your physical well-being as well.
The path to recovery is a delicate one. But to increase your chances of success, you must put gratitude as a cornerstone of this process.
Gratitude goes beyond politeness, good manners, and the instinct to say “thank you” when something good — whether tangible or intangible — happens. As you learn to savor gratifying experiences, you develop more positive emotions and become happier overall.
Harvard Health Publishing notes that “in positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness.”
The optimism that gratitude brings serves as a potent antidote to the negative emotions that you encounter while in addiction and when withdrawing from it. It counters feelings of shame and guilt as it helps you appreciate your sense of self-worth more.
Loneliness and isolation, common byproducts of addiction, are also mitigated by gratitude's inherent connection to something larger, whether it’s in the form of a higher being or otherwise. And, as we’ll discuss later, gratitude can foster deeper connections with loved ones, further strengthening your support system.
Addiction is also often linked to anxiety and depression, which are both rooted in negative thinking. You can counter such a harmful habit with a competing response, which can include being grateful.
Four to 6 in 10 people who are healing from addiction tend to relapse. But there are ways to avoid it and one of them is by being grateful. Think of gratitude as your protective shield — an effective tool in relapse prevention.
Triggers can range from boredom and stress to social isolation and harboring negative emotions. Gratitude in recovery allows you to experience a shift in focus: instead of being consumed by negativity, you will learn to see things in a positive light.
As you manage your feelings better, you can effectively minimize and counteract your cravings. You can also direct your attention to staying committed to your recovery goals.
Consistency is critical if you want to leverage the potency of gratitude. Here are ways to make it an integral part of your routine.
Journaling is a powerful way to cultivate gratitude. When you write gratifying things and experiences down, you train your mind to focus on the positive aspects of your everyday life. Before going to bed, take the time to reflect on your day and think about three pleasant moments. This reflective exercise sets the tone right for the following day.
Voicing out your gratitude can have a more profound impact — not just on you but on the recipient as well. There are various ways to express your thanks, including giving a verbal acknowledgment, writing thank-you notes, and offering a gift or a kind gesture.
Living in the present moment and tuning into your surroundings and yourself more intently without judgment is a powerful way to foster a deeper sense of appreciation for life. So, dedicate a few moments of your day to sit down, enjoy the quiet moment, and engage your senses.
Speaking of quiet moments, one of the most relevant times you can incorporate gratitude into your daily life is when you pray. If you have a spiritual practice, make sure to convey your thanks to a higher power (or the universe) for the blessings you receive in your life, no matter how seemingly mundane or overwhelmingly grand they may be.
Experts agree that visual cues can reinforce feelings of gratitude. Visual reminders can be as simple as placing gratitude quotes or sticky notes around your workspace or having words of affirmation on your phone’s wallpaper. It can also be as creative as taking photos or painting a gratitude-embodying work of art and displaying them.
Maintaining relationships is an important part of the recovery process. And as mentioned above, expressing gratitude can have a positive impact on interpersonal relationships.
Psychologists Robert Emmons and Robin Stern describe gratitude as appreciating the positive aspects of life and acknowledging that they come from external sources. This underscores that being grateful involves a “giver.” And, often, that “giver” includes the very people around you.
By openly acknowledging gratifying things from those around you, you deepen your connection and strengthen your relationships. If your addiction has strained your relationships with loved ones, you can begin fixing it by acknowledging the efforts they make in helping you heal. Ultimately, recognizing what they do for you can create a supportive social environment, comprising individuals who can help you navigate your recovery journey better.
To help you mend and improve bonds strained by addiction, here are some tips to follow:
Research shows that being consistent in practicing gratitude may not only enhance mental wellness but also foster a lasting shift in perspective. Studies also prove that a single thoughtful act can reduce stress and anxiety, leading to a 10% increase in happiness and a 35% reduction in depressive symptoms.
A healthier mental state forms a strong foundation for a healthier body, something you need if you’re veering away from addiction.
In a specific study involving 186 patients, researchers found that individuals who expressed more gratitude experienced improved sleep. Moreover, they reported reduced fatigue and depression, increased self-confidence in self-care, and lower levels of systemic inflammation. It can negatively impact the body, including the cardiovascular system.
Gratitude in recovery extends just beyond having a more optimistic mindset. It causes positive effects on your mental and physical health, which are both crucial when recovering.
Setbacks are inevitable, especially in your journey toward sobriety. You will face stressful and triggering situations, which can prompt you to return to your addiction. But while there are bumps in the road, having a grateful disposition can help you overcome challenges.
With a changed perspective, you can reframe such setbacks as opportunities for growth. You can find motivation in the positive aspects of your life — and use them to face the road ahead with resilience.
Gratitude plays an integral role in strengthening and enriching your recovery journey. It’s a protective shield against triggers and a potent fuel that steers your mindset in an optimistic direction.
If you wish for lasting sobriety, consciously incorporate gratitude into your everyday life. Write a journal, express gratitude to others, be more mindful and prayerful, and get inspiration from visual reminders.
Want to learn more about gratitude in recovery and integrate it into your treatment? Count on the leading treatment center in Oregon to help you with that. Reach out to Another Chance Rehab today!
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