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By focusing on the good things, you can develop a more positive outlook and increase the likelihood of a successful recovery. Having gratitude can also help you appreciate those who support you, strengthening your relationship with them. Expressing gratitude can also encourage you to strive for improvement, as it reminds you of what you have already achieved and demonstrates how much more you can accomplish. By practicing gratitude during recovery, you not only boost your resilience in times of hardship but also lay the foundation for long-term success in all areas of life. Your positive attitude ends up helping others who are just starting their recovery journey, and in turn becomes a gift to many. Having a sense of gratitude replaces embarrassment and frustration with thankfulness.
You stub your toe on the way out of bed or you spill your coffee all over your clean shirt? For a lot of people, this seemingly negative event sets off a train of thought and then everything seems to go wrong for the rest of the day. You’ll hear people say, “I shouldn’t have gotten out of bed this morning.” This reflects the negative thinking that just draws more and more to it.
How to Maintain an Attitude of Gratitude During Recovery
By cultivating a thankful mindset, individuals in recovery can start to appreciate the good in their lives and find hope and encouragement to continue on the path towards sobriety. In this section, we’ll explore the power of gratitude during addiction recovery and the benefits it can bring. We’ll discuss simple daily practices, backed by research, that promote gratitude and how they can support a successful recovery journey. These practices include journaling, the healing power of gratitude letters, and expressing gratitude to friends, family, and support systems.
Having a grateful mindset allows to take on challenges with a positive mindset and instead of seeing relapse as a failure, we can see it as an opportunity to improve. Practicing gratitude also teaches us how to love and respect ourselves, which enables us to love and respect others as well. On the other hand, gratitude can also arise more outwardly towards others who have helped in your recovery process. To practice daily gratitude means viewing the world through a lens of appreciation. This becomes evident in your interactions with others throughout the day. A grateful attitude propels you through life, sporting a compassionate heart versus a chip on your shoulder.
Showing Gratitude to Yourself
It can help you divert your attention away from substance use to focus on what fulfills you. Gratitude allows an individual to celebrate the present and be an active participant in their life. If you’re having difficulty staying clean or battling cravings, it might be best to seek help at a reputable drug rehab center. Recovery Centers of America has drug rehab locations across the country that offer various evidence-based treatment options, including detox, individual and group therapy, and more. Caring for yourself helps show gratitude for all that your mind and body do for you.
- His other interests include hiking, canyoneering, urban exploration, and screenwriting.
- In recovery, you can be grateful for the opportunity to have the freedom to pursue new hobbies, activities and goals with your newfound time.
- Make a deliberate effort to replace old drug related behaviors and thoughts with new, positive ones.
- Being able to communicate clearly about your recovery experience and to ask for help when you need it can strengthen relationships and solve problems.
- You may feel like you don’t have the strength or willpower to overcome your obstacles, and you might start to get caught up in negative thoughts and emotions like anger, self-doubt, or hopelessness.
By focusing on gratitude, you can train your mind to overcome negative thinking. As you start to practice gratitude, you’ll notice the power of the words you choose. This should https://ecosoberhouse.com/ carry over into all the thoughts and conversations you have throughout the day. Try to eliminate negative thoughts and feelings or match them with a positive counterpart.
Supplements for Elite Athletic Recovery
In recovery, you can be grateful for the opportunity to have the freedom to pursue new hobbies, activities and goals with your newfound time. Drugs and alcohol can take a severe toll on the body and brain, and an overdose can leave a user permanently disabled, or dead. Addiction also puts people at risk for violence and criminal activity. Having the opportunity to pursue recovery can be a cause for gratitude.
Have you ever become annoyed or frustrated by a person or something they’ve done? But what happens for most is when we start to think those judgemental and negative thoughts we think of more things about the person or situation we don’t like. The thoughts can snowball why is gratitude important in recovery until we’ve worked ourselves into a state of restlessness and discontent. Try to think of similar questions that may put a positive spin on negative experiences. It’s easy to become irritable, angry, and impatient when we focus on the worst qualities in others.
Why Gratitude?
But there are proactive steps you can take to make it a seamless part of your life as quickly as possible. You might write in a gratitude journal or have an alarm go off periodically as a reminder to stop and reflect. Journaling has a long-established history as a tool for self-discovery and healing. Journal therapy is a part of many kinds of counseling and group work, but anyone can use a journal to explore feelings, process events, and create conditions for change.
Whether you keep a journal, make a list, or choose some other way to track the positives in your life, a gratitude practice can be a constant, comforting companion on the road to recovery. Meditation encourages mindfulness – the practice of being in the present moment without judgment. Mindfulness helps you focus on all those everyday events and experiences that make you feel positive – and grateful. In your journal, take time to note down the things and events of the day that you’re grateful for. Whether it’s a chance to sleep a little later in the morning or a meeting with an old friend, note it down.