Practicing Gratitude For Addiction Recovery

Posted by Care Addiction Center on December 21st, 2021

Practicing gratitude is a fundamental part of the holiday season, but it is also a major part of daily living in addiction recovery. An act of gratitude can be as simple as being thankful or appreciative of something. But what role does appreciation and gratitude play in addiction recovery?

Why Gratitude Is Important During Addiction Recovery

When you struggle with addiction, consider how you internally view negative scenarios. An unhealthy behavior can easily be justified when someone makes critical remarks or cuts you off in traffic. It is more than just saying \"thank you\" or internally thanking oneself for being addiction-free. Every situation requires gratitude. Keep looking for the good in every situation.

Focusing on a few small things to be grateful for will ultimately help reduce a toxic mindset. In addition to teaching us to love and respect ourselves, practicing gratitude also teaches us to love and respect others.

How To Practice Gratitude

It takes time to develop a mindset and behaviors that reflect gratitude. The following tips can help you cultivate gratitude during recovery.

• Focus On Little Things: Gratitude isn\'t all about grand gestures - small compliments, someone you know now that you didn\'t when you were addicted, or something good happening to someone else are all things for which we should be grateful.
• Look At What You Have, Not What You Don’t: If we focus on all the things we don\'t have, we will develop an attitude of ungratefulness and feel negative emotions like jealousy and anger. Be careful not to compare your life to others and the things they have that you don\'t. Put yourself in the position that you have - and consider what life would be like without it.
• Focus On The Best Instead Of The Worst: Don\'t let the disappointment or wrong-doing of others overwhelm you. Instead, use thought stopping techniques, then focus on positive aspects of the situation.
• Give To Others Daily: Generosity is an important part of gratitude. Every day there are numerous opportunities to be generous, but recognizing them takes effort and attention. The simple act of offering to help someone lift groceries into their car, for example, can make a huge difference.

More Ways To Practice Gratitude

• Make a gratitude journal and add to it each day.
• Tell someone you love and appreciate them.
• Include an act of kindness in your life everyday.
• Look for the beauty in nature.
• Smile more often.
• Watch inspiring videos.
• Avoid negative media and movies with destructive content.
• Call your mom, dad or grandparents more often.
• Volunteer for organizations that help others.
• Don’t gossip or speak badly about others.
• Commit to one day a week when you won’t complain about a single thing.
• Give recognition when it’s due at work.
• Reciprocate kindness - if someone does something nice for you, do something nice for them.
• Say thank you for the little things your loved ones do for you, things you normally take for granted.
• Post quotes and images around the house that remind you to be grateful.
• Help friends see the positive side to life.

It\'s not simply nice to practice gratitude - it\'s crucial to long-term recovery. You will eventually have more reason to be thankful than you can ever imagine if you practice gratitude with enough things. Over time, you\'ll be able to suppress negative thoughts that fuel a desire to use again.

Need addiction help? If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction and want to learn more about treatment options, feel free to contact us at: 630-402-0144