Gratitude is so important for not only your mental health but also your recovery journey. When you promote gratitude, you will come across many benefits and likely become a happier individual. But promoting gratitude and making it a priority does not come naturally for everyone. If this is your case, our team at Pathways Recovery Center can help.
Through time and practice, you can begin to make gratitude a natural habit in your life. It can become something you don’t even have to think about but simply practice. When you begin to promote gratitude, you may be surprised just how much your life changes for the better. Start your journey with gratitude today.
Why Do Some People in Early Recovery Struggle to Promote Gratitude at First?
Consider how many people feel when they first seek treatment for addiction. They may feel as if they are at the lowest point in their life. Their addiction may have caused them a lot of problems, such as financial struggles, strained relationships, legal trouble, or even job loss.
They are probably feeling a lot of different emotions, none of which are gratitude. For example, they could be feeling hopeless, angry, lonely, depressed, or even resentful. At this point in time, they are likely only able to focus on what is wrong about their life instead of what is right.
It’s also important to consider why someone turned to substance misuse in the first place. For many people, it is a result of past trauma. If they have not yet healed from that trauma, then it could certainly impact their ability to feel gratitude. The good news is that once you begin to heal during recovery, you can experience gratitude again.
Why Is It So Important to Promote Gratitude in Recovery?
There are many reasons to promote gratitude while in recovery and even just in living a happy and fulfilling life. It is easy to get stuck into a cycle of self-pity when you are constantly focusing on what you don’t have instead of what you do. When you are constantly focused on the negatives, it can feel very difficult to just allow yourself to be happy. But when you begin to promote gratitude, you may see that life is not as bad as it may seem.
When you make a point to promote gratitude, you’ll see that your eyes are opened and you have a fresh perspective on your life. All the good things that you may have been overlooking for so long may suddenly come into view. You may begin to see different good things in your life that you never noticed or thought about before.
This is important in recovery because it improves your mental health and helps you to find joy without turning to substance use. You can begin to see that you don’t need drugs or alcohol to be happy on a daily basis.
How Do I Begin to Promote Gratitude in Recovery?
If gratitude isn’t something that necessarily comes naturally to you, you can start by making a conscious effort every day to make time for it. When you continue to do this, it will become more of a habit. A great way to start is by doing something called gratitude journaling.
Every day, either when you first wake up or before you go to bed at night, write down three things that you’re grateful for. On some days, this may be easier to do than on others. This could include something good that happened that day or be as simple as basic things like good health, food to eat, and a roof over your head. Before long, you may be noticing these things throughout your day more often.
This type of journaling is so beneficial because it allows you to either start or end your day with a grateful heart. No matter how difficult that day may be, you still made an effort to remind yourself of the good in your life. This can also be helpful on days when you’re struggling to find things to be grateful for. You can simply flip back and reflect upon the things that you have written down in the past.
Another great way to promote gratitude is to help out the less fortunate. When you see the struggles that others face, it can help you to become more aware than ever of the basic good things you have in your life. Consider checking out some of your local charities. See if there is one that speaks with you, and try volunteering as much as your schedule permits.
If you’re struggling to promote gratitude, our team at Pathways Recovery Center can help you with this next important step in your life.
Gratitude is often referred to as the secret to living a happier and healthier life. It can also help you to stop comparing yourself to others and what they have and be thankful for your own blessings in life. Right now, you might be at a place where you are struggling to find things to be grateful for. Don’t worry; in recovery, you can begin to heal and get your sense of gratitude back. At Pathways Recovery Center, we want to help you start living a life free of addiction. Give us a call at (888) 771-0966 today. A member of our team will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
