No matter what has brought you to addiction recovery, it probably wasn’t an easy journey. Life circumstances, trauma, and other factors often play large roles in substance abuse disorders. But no matter where you’ve been, you’re here now. And that in and of itself is a reason to practice gratitude.

What Does Research Say About Thankfulness and Addiction Recovery?

Many studies have shown that thankfulness and gratitude have an impact on one’s mental, emotional, and even physical health. When it comes to those in addiction recovery, one study discusses the wide ranging evidence showing the benefits of gratitude. There is “considerable evidence,” the study describes, “proving gratitude as a valuable emotion that improves the individual’s subjective well-being.” Other benefits include “a character strength that promotes coping strategies for dealing with stress” and the fact that gratitude also “fosters prosocial behavior.”

What Are the Behavioral Benefits of Thankfulness?

• Gratitude develops resilience

  Several studies have found that people who are more grateful are less prone to depression and PTSD. Dispositional gratitude—meaning a consistent practice of gratefulness—predicted better mood, more peaceful days, and more clear motivation. All these things can strengthen one’s resiliency.

 

• Gratitude improves self-esteem

• It may not seem obvious, but gratitude for others actually improves your self-esteem. This is especially important for people starting out addiction recovery because their self-esteem can often use some rebuilding. Many studies support the link between feeling more grateful and feeling better about yourself. Basically, gratitude improves your relationships and when you’re surrounded by supportive people, you feel better about yourself.

 

• Gratitude helps improve relationships:

• This can flow into other benefits, including overall resilience, happiness, and self-esteem. Practicing thankfulness can also help us identify people in our lives who we really are thankful for and who are healthy influences. For the more difficult relationships, it helps us stay patient and clear-headed when we need to be.

 

• Gratitude can prevent relapse:

• Gratitude has been shown to have a strong correlation with relapse prevention, according to a recent study. Moreover, a dispositional gratitude had a positive impact on both the mental and emotional states of those in recovery. Instead of seeing only negatives, practicing thankfulness can help you follow through on your choices even when things are difficult.

Positive Thinking, Prayer, and Thankfulness

In order to begin practicing thankfulness, it’s important to stop comparing yourself to others. Just because you’re not at the same “level” as someone else or don’t have the things they have doesn’t not mean your life is less meaningful. Everyone has their own pace, path, and journey. Positive thinking doesn’t mean you always think everything is fine, but rather that you see the possibility of good in yourself and in others. Having a positive mindset that focuses on the Good can help relieve stress and enhance your overall health. It can be easier to take things in stride and cope with challenging situations in more effective ways. With an attitude of gratitude, you can get past small obstacles and use them as opportunities to learn, which will keep you motivated and working toward more healing each day. Prayer is also a great way to start practicing thankfulness. The New Testament letter to the Philippians encourages us in our petitions and requests to always include thanksgiving. This request plus gratitude model keeps us humble in our asking. Moreover, it helps each person maintain a healthy perspective about themselves and their lives, both spiritually and in their circumstances.

Three Ways to Practice Thankfulness

Gratitude can be expressed in many ways. You can practice with very simple things, such as being thankful for a warm, sunny day after a few days of rain. Or it can be more personal, such as being thankful for having consistent employment or a supportive partner. As you turn your heart to the love and goodness of God (1 Chronicles 16:34), it will help you see things from a different perspective, which in turn can shift your outlook. These tree tips will help you get started on your thankfulness practice.

Keep a Gratitude Journal

Start writing down what you’re thankful for each day. Even if it’s only a few sentences, this practice will start to impact your brain chemistry. You’ll find that you’ll become more comfortable and confident in finding things to be thankful for. If you don’t know where to start, start small. Write down how you feel God taking care of you, how you felt loved and seen in a given situation. Then, when you’re having a hard day, you have your own writings to pull you out of a rut.

Fellowship with Encouraging People

The people you spend time with make a significant difference in how you feel and how you see the world. If you only hang out with people who are complaining, are never happy, and who engage in harmful habits, it can rub off on you. Instead, try to associate with those who have a healthy outlook on life. If you can find a community full of people who smile and laugh, are fairly optimistic, and don’t dwell on the negatives, you will notice how your own demeanor changes. This community can also be a great form of support and encouragement when you need it most.

Find a Way to Serve Others

There are numerous volunteer opportunities available where you can help those who need it most. Even though you may feel like you’re not qualified, your willingness is the only thing you need. Volunteering can look like fundraising, events for nonprofits, helping at food banks, soup kitchens, tutoring, and the like. When you give back to others, you’ll begin to feel gratitude well up inside you and realize how much you have to be thankful for. It can also be a way to boost your mood because you know you are making a difference in the lives of others. To begin or continue your recovery journey, reach out to the staff at OK Adult and Teen Challenge today!