Practicing Gratitude
Gratitude as an Effective Way to Add Positivity to Your Life in Recovery
“Our life is what our thoughts make it.” - Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius
This famous quote refers to the idea that if we change the way we think about life and the world around us, we can change our lives. Therefore, if we we show gratitude and positivity, we are likely to have a better life.
Gratitude centers on appreciating what you already have rather than expecting something else to make you happy or thinking you will never be satisfied until all your physical and material needs are met. It helps people focus on what they have instead of what they lack. Although it may feel forced at first, this mental state grows stronger with use and practice. By focusing on what is going right, you can build confidence and happiness.
Resentment, the opposite of gratitude, is dangerous for recovering addicts. By focusing on negative thoughts, it denies people the state of contentment, and puts them at a risk of relapse.
Benefits of practicing gratitude
Gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. It helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. Practicing gratitude can help you create a mindset of positivity, affecting your physical, mental, and social well-being.
Here is a list of ways that practicing gratitude can have a positive effect on your life:
Stronger immune systems
Reduced sensing of aches and pains
Lower blood pressure
Increased interest in exercise and taking care of health
Better, more restful sleep
Increased levels of positive emotions
Being more alert, alive, and awake
Increased sense of joy and pleasure
Increased feelings of optimism and happiness
Increased desire to be helpful, generous, and compassionate
Increased feelings of forgiveness
Increased interest in being outgoing
Reduced feelings of loneliness and isolation
Reduced negative thoughts and feelings
Reduced reflection on negative thoughts and experiences
Reduced stress
Strengthened relationships
Reduced likelihood of mental health problems
Improved self-care practices
Ways to practice gratitude
If you would like to experience some of the benefits of practicing gratitude, here is a list of ways that you can practice it everyday:
Keep a gratitude journal and add to it everyday.
Tell someone you love them and how much you appreciate them.
Notice the beauty in nature each day.
Nurture your friendships.
Include an act of kindness in your life each day.
Spend quality time with your children or partner.
Compliment your friends and family.
Write a card to someone you haven’t seen in a while and tell them something nice.
Meditate with your gratitude list and give thanks for all your good fortune.
Embrace challenges and turn them into opportunities to grow.
See the growth opportunity in your mistakes.
Help your friends see the positive side to life.
When times are bad, focus on your friends who are at your side.
When time is good, notice and help others.
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough.”
– Aesop