Gratitude in Recovery Values in Recovery

For those in recovery, maintaining gratitude can help reduce risk of relapse, promote a positive mindset, and act as an important tool in managing difficult emotions or situations. Most people tend to be happier and more satisfied with life when they contribute to others and help them with their own lives. This applies whether you’re volunteering to help others, doing things that make your friends and family happy, or working in a way that contributes to your community and surroundings. Volunteering actually triggers the reward system in your brain, causing you to feel happier and more satisfied. This happens because most humans are ‘wired’ to benefit from social good, including helping others.

And still, with this type of attitude towards service you will find that it extends far beyond the walls of recovery to your home, your work, and your community. The opportunities to serve are everywhere, especially this time of year during the holidays. You will find through service a new appreciation for life, yourself, and for others.

Thinking Positively Helps with Recovery

Engaging in a spiritual or mindfulness practice like meditation, yoga, or prayer can better connect with your body’s capabilities and create space in our lives to reflect on thoughts of gratitude. 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.

When addiction rules most aspects of life, it can be difficult to recognize and take advantage of new opportunities to learn, grow, and change. Recovery allows you to explore new opportunities and make new connections without the distraction of drugs or alcohol. Starting a new life in recovery involves pushing through regrets from the past and shedding a lot of baggage. That said, there are going to be residual negative emotions and memories that can hinder your recovery. One of the benefits of cultivating a grateful heart in recovery is that it helps you better handle the negative things that come your way. Gratitude becomes like a sweet salve that not only heals but also contributes to your sense of joy for breaking free from substance use.

Experiencing Moments of Gratitude in Recovery

Addiction – particularly substance addiction, in which the chemical makeup of your brain gets disrupted – is inherently negative in nature. It provokes negative feelings of anger, anxiety, pain, depression, and low self-worth. More than likely, when you were addicted, you were thinking only of yourself, rather than those around you. Gratitude refers to the recognition and expression of thankfulness. When we are grateful for something or someone, we feel an immense appreciation for them. Too often, we forget to practice gratitude because of our busy lives.

They mentioned Deepak Chopra, an American author, public speaker and prominent leader in spirituality, who had emphasized that gratitude is recognizing the presence of the Divine in our lives. Rather than a strictly religious perspective, gratitude is a spiritual practice that is considered the “antidote” to many forms of suffering. If you’re searching for guidance on where to turn next during addiction recovery, ALYST Health is here to provide all the recovery resources you need.

Importance of Gratitude in Recovery

Attitude of Gratitude is a term first developed by Alcoholics Anonymous and used throughout most 12-step programs. It’s also moved into non-AA treatment and often into everyday life. This is extremely helpful to recovering addicts, because Gratitude can translate in many ways, from being thankful and appreciative to actively going out of your way to show appreciation.

• A grateful attitude will mean that people can face the challenges that confront them in recovery calmly.
• As a core principle of many recovery programs, the word gratitude gets thrown around a lot.
• Choosing to stop using addictive substances and actively work toward recovery is a positive step.
• Try to eliminate negative thoughts and feelings or match them with a positive counterpart.

Try to eliminate negative thoughts and feelings or match them with a positive counterpart. A feeling of gratitude is similar to a sense of solid appreciation. When you practice gratitude, you make a conscious effort to recognize the things, people and actions in your life you should be thankful for. These are the things — big or small — that make you feel lucky and have helped guide you in the right direction. Instead of focusing on material possessions this holiday season, these nine tips can help you practice gratitude in recovery and learn how to be thankful and content with what you already have.

At its core, gratitude is about developing a state of openness and vulnerability. It allows you to appreciate what you have instead of dwelling on your difficulties. gratitude in recovery According to studies, gratitude and happiness are always strongly correlated. In one study, researchers asked one group to note the things they were grateful for.