How to Live a Life of Gratitude in Recovery
Gratitude may be the furthest thing from your mind. You’re battling a constant level of stress as you work through
When you decide to seek help for substance use disorder from Victory Addiction Recovery Center, you gain an ally who will remain by your side. We believe in integrity, honesty, and perseverance. We respect you and work as your team members on this mission. One way we do that is to provide you with reasons to be grateful.
Studies have long shown that gratitude changes the function of the brain. It’s one tool, along with other evidence-based strategies, that can help you overcome the challenges of addiction recovery.
Why Is Being Grateful Important in Addiction Recovery?
Demonstrating gratitude on a routine basis helps to promote success in recovery. By focusing on being grateful, you support yourself in your effort to heal. When you practice gratitude consistently, you may notice:
- A most positive view on life. Even in the down-in-the-trenches type of recovery days, there is much to be positive about when you have a treatment plan and the support you need. That can change your perspective.
- What’s really important isn’t what you thought was important. It’s easy to become overwhelmed and even zero in on what you don’t have or the long list of problems you have to overcome. Yet, when you live in gratitude, you continue to see what’s really important, such as relationships, your health, and life itself.
- You live more in the present moment. Addiction recovery involves overcoming the past, but living in the moment is also essential. When you practice gratitude, you’re more in Tune with what’s happening right now, not just worrying about the future or focusing on the past.
- Your relationships are improving. Gratitude has a unique way of helping us put more effort and time into building better relationships. Appreciating a friendship allows you to form better connections and see the effort people are putting into you.
- Your mood improves when you are grateful and focus on that. This makes every day of treatment and recovery a bit more enjoyable.
Gratitude sounds like an exceptional tool, but it’s not something that’s easily obtained. Rather, you’ll need to work on it over time.
Tips to Incorporate Gratitude Into Your Life in Recovery
The value of being grateful is clear, but how do you actually pull it off? Focus on these steps:
- Start a journal. It sounds cliché, but it works. A simple notebook or tab in an app on your phone is all it takes. Spend every day jotting down just a few things you’re grateful for that day. It could be similar each day, but try to expand what you appreciate each day to something else.
- Meditate. Meditation is an excellent way to clear your mind of the negative and build a stronger, more positive focus. Meditating with a focus on gratitude encourages mindfulness. It allows you to be more present in the moment.
- Say it out loud. Don’t just think about what you’re grateful for, but instead, tell the universe what it is. By saying “thank you” out loud consistently, you’re acknowledging all of the positive interactions you have each day.
- Do a daily review. Spend a few minutes each day reviewing what you’re grateful for. This may be right when you wake up or just before you sit down for a meal.
- In hardship, be grateful. Perhaps the most challenging time to be grateful is when everything seems to be working against you. Yet, that’s exactly when you need to hear those positive words. Make it a point to find something positive to be thankful for during those rough periods. Gratitude can help you navigate stress healthily.
Incorporating a Sense of Gratitude in Your SUD Recovery
At Victory, our focus is on giving each person the tools and resources they need to recover and improve their quality of life. Gratitude is one of those valuable resources. When we consider the most effective treatment for addiction, we often focus only on evidence-based therapies. Yet, it is in these methods that you can confidently find your way forward.
When you’re ready to embrace therapy and recovery, contact Victory Addiction Recovery Center in Lafayette, LA, for an assessment. We are grateful to you for caring about yourself and getting treatment.
