Staying Grounded in Recovery: The Importance of Gratitude

Individuals who are more appreciative of their life, the people in it, and their own strength often feel more in control of their lives and emotions. These feelings are essential during a time when things may feel beyond one’s control. It may also help individuals view recovery as a challenge that will help them grow instead of as an obstacle that could overtake them. Developing an attitude of gratitude comes easily for some and for others takes some practice and habit-building.

In these studies, a partner could be either a romantic partner or a close friend. Either way, the more you express gratitude to someone, the more connected you feel. In that sense, most people are at least partially aware that feeling grateful is as much an exercise as it is a feeling. By keeping this principle in mind, you can learn to exercise this discipline as a means of strengthening your own recovery.

How To Show Gratitude In Early Recovery & Beyond

As one can see, there are many people who have used gratitude in their own lives and attest to how powerful and healing it can be. From Aesop to Oprah Winfrey, the power of gratitude has transformed lives and healed relationships. It’s an internal quality — the ability to feel appreciation for a life free from addiction. As you learn to incorporate gratitude into how you view your new life, you may find that your recovery isn’t as difficult as you once thought. A sense of gratitude is a simple but powerful skill throughout your recovery journey. By identifying things to be grateful for, you’ll be able to find the strength and motivation to keep moving forward.

• Surrounding yourself with positive people can help you maintain a positive outlook and view things in a similar light.
• Second, existing research suggests that good outcomes are less stable with moderated drinking compared with abstinence (Ilgen et al., 2008).
• Life is full of experiences and challenges, many of which can teach you valuable lessons.
• Practicing gratitude is one of the most popular early recovery topics.
• NEATC will always strive to offer the highest quality of care in the Northeast region, while priding itself on a foundation of integrity, transparency, and compassion.

There are several reasons why gratitude is effective for reducing stress and anxiety. Firstly, it helps to shift our focus away from negative thoughts and emotions towards positive https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/alcohol-and-anxiety-can-drinking-cause-panic-attacks/ ones. This means that even if we’re going through a tough time, we can still find things to be grateful for – whether it’s our health, our relationships, or the beauty of nature.

Things to Be Grateful for in Recovery

There is emerging research showing that gratitude can help limit the damage. One study looked at 186 men and women who had already been diagnosed with asymptomatic heart failure. The researchers found that patients who scored higher on gratitude had better mood, better quality sleep, and a greater sense of self-efficacy, or the belief that they have control over what happens to them. Perhaps most importantly, from a medical perspective, they also had lower levels of inflammation markers. Inflammation is a major risk factor in the progression of heart disease and keeping it low is crucial for heart health as well as other dimensions of physical and mental health.

This follows the principle that most people spend about 47% of their time worrying, resulting in anxiety, depression, and less enjoyment of what they are actually doing. These 8 ways to maintain an attitude of gratitude in recovery will put you on the right path to staying focused on what’s important. 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.