The key is to not let the bad days take over or become too frequent. Many times people think, sure but I can’t control what goes on around me and what others do and say. And while this is completely true, what we can control is our thoughts. As mentioned, when a person begins to think negatively it often just grows and grows until they are upset, angry, bitter, and eventually resentful.
Being around people who are optimistic, supportive, and encouraging can boost your mood and inspire you to perform gratitude more often. Research suggests that gratitude motivates us to pursue our goals and achieve more. According to Robert Emmons, the world’s leading scientific expert on gratitude, people who prioritize gratitude are more successful at reaching their personal goals than those who don’t. However, gratitude is not about pretending everything is fine when it is not.
How does cultivating a thankful mindset help in addiction recovery?
They may believe that gratitude is ignoring or denying the negative aspects of life or being overly optimistic. However, gratitude can help you overcome these difficulties and see positivity in your recovery. You may still struggle with some of these challenges and emotions in early recovery.
- If you’re grateful for your recovery, you stay committed and contribute to it.
- This practice supports overall well-being and aids in the journey to lasting sobriety.
- The third group was asked to write about the negative and positive events that affected them.
- When combining gratitude mindfulness, you create a strong foundation that helps keep your perspective on life balanced, present, and positive.
- Every day, take just a moment or two to write down a few things that make you grateful.
- If you are in recovery, you have accomplished so much just by being sober or trying to get sober.
Gratitude allows an individual to celebrate the present and be an active participant in their life. But if you’re in early recovery or beyond, it’s that much more important. Reach out to someone you like and trust, and ask to exchange gratitude. When you hear their perspective, when you see where they look for meaning, your mind will respond in kind. You’ll notice more things to feel grateful for, and you’ll open yourself up to new definitions of goodness and beauty. No matter what your religious or spiritual beliefs, taking some time each day to say thank you to your Higher Power is a great way to cultivate more things to be grateful for in your life.
Recovery Coaching
Studies have shown that grateful people experience more positive emotions, such as joy, love, and satisfaction. They also have higher levels of self-esteem, optimism, and resilience. Gratitude can help you appreciate your progress in recovery gratitude and recovery and the opportunities you have for growth and change. This can help you counteract the negative thoughts and emotions that fuel addiction. It’s a way of recognizing the good things in our lives, even when things are hard or challenging.
- In order for the practice of gratitude letters to be successful towards recovery, it is crucial that the individual believes they are deserving of this positive affirmation in their lives.
- If you’re struggling with sobriety and want to break free from addiction’s hold so you can reclaim your life, there is help.
- Nothing will ever be “perfect”, and challenges can be used to grow, learn, and even to give you a better perspective on good things in your life.
Practicing gratitude is one of the most popular early recovery topics. It may be there under different names — for example, AA daily reflections. Finding things to be grateful for in recovery helps an individual keep their mind in a positive place. Rather than focusing on mistakes from the past or future challenges, it lets a person acknowledge the good they’ve accomplished so far.
The Power of Gratitude in Recovery
Even if drugs or alcohol still tempt you, you missed your group session or you yelled at a dear friend — don’t beat yourself up. Further, practicing gratitude helps you look outward, to all the wonderful things that surround you, rather than keeping you focused inward, which can lead to feelings of negativity and despair. Gratitude, when practiced daily, enhances hope, increases physical and mental wellbeing, and helps overcome the more difficult times we all face. It’s common for those who struggle with addiction to get stuck within the mindset of “me against the world”. It can feel like no one is on your side, often times not even yourself.
Gratitude is not just about saying thank you, it is much more than that. Practicing gratitude has been found to increase self-esteem, boost resilience, and enhance overall well-being. In studies where participants wrote letters of thanks to people who had positively impacted their lives, they reported feeling happier for up to a month after completing this task. These letters allow us to express our appreciation towards people who have impacted our lives positively, improving our mental and emotional well-being. Get a jar of any kind and when something good happens write it on a strip of paper and put it in the jar. Then each day (once you get some stockpiled) take one out and remember what you have to be happy about.