Incorporating gratitude into your daily routine is one way you can stay grounded and thankful in your life, and especially in recovery. As you may have experienced yourself, active addiction often brings along the feeling that the glass is half empty. From financial burdens to the loss of a friend, uncontrollable stressors can present themselves at any time. Keeping a balanced perspective and remaining positive when unexpected troubles arise can help you stay in a more positive mindset, focusing rather on the fact that you even have a glass with something in it. Looking at your life and finding small moments to be grateful for can keep you in the here and the now, truly taking your recovery one step at a time. In this post we’re going to cover why practicing gratitude is important, and some gratitude prompts you can start using today.
Why is Gratitude Important?
Gratitude is but one way you can increase your overall happiness and satisfaction in life. As such, practicing gratitude can lead to more fulfilling long-term success in your recovery. Not only does gratitude allow you to appreciate your successes, but it prepares you to better cope with adversity. In short, gratitude is critical to living presently and abundantly in your recovery. We wrote an entire post about how to begin recognizing gratitude in your life, check it out now here.
Gratitude Prompts
Whether in a journal or a mental note, here are some of our favorite gratitude prompts that you can begin to use in your daily practice:
- What are you looking forward to in the next month?
- Name 10 things that you like about yourself
- What are some moments in the past month that have brought you joy?
- What are 3 things that I’m thankful for?
- Are there any people in my life that have supported me lately?
- What have they done that has helped or supported me?
- What are my talents?
- What makes me smile?
When you’re ready, dig a little bit deeper with it:
- What is something I wish I could thank my past self for?
- What’s one way I grew up that I’m thankful for?
- Who am I grateful for?
- Write a thank you letter for one person
- How have I grown in the past year alone?
- How have I grown in my recovery alone?
- What do you appreciate about your current career circumstances?
- What was one challenge in my recovery that I grew through experiencing?
- Write a list of 5 things you have
Ground Yourself Through Gratitude
Start small if you need, spend a few minutes each morning thinking through a couple prompts from above. As you build on your practice you’ll find that it becomes an integral part of each day. With this, find your own flavor. Practicing gratitude doesn’t look one way – you might dedicate an entire journal just to gratitude, or maybe you repeat your thoughts aloud in front of a mirror. Most importantly, have fun with it!
Need a Friendly Face to Guide You?
Our Peer Recovery Specialists (PRSs) work one-on-one with clients to ensure successful long-term recovery. PRSs act as mentors and advocates who walk alongside you in your recovery. Along with this, PRSs guide you through developing a recovery wellness plan that is tailored to your experiences and needs. Within the recovery wellness plan can be any practice that assists you in living abundantly in recovery – gratitude practice, healthy eating, yoga or whatever habits are helpful to you. Sounds helpful? Start working with a PRS now.
