Practicing Gratitude During Recovery

Early recovery can feel overwhelming. It involves building new routines supportive of your sobriety. As you excavate the patterns and behaviors that support substance abuse, you may start to feel stressed. Implementing a gratitude practice works to change your outlook on the transitions you are making. It brings positivity to everyday moments by consciously highlighting the benefits of each new action.

The Power of Gratitude on Recovery

Gratitude is an intentional practice that is very powerful for individuals in recovery. In a 2023 study, “The effects of gratitude interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis," it was determined that patients who undertook gratitude practice during recovery had a significant increase in positive mood and mental health, as well as day-to-day happiness. By completing acts of gratitude, participants treated anxiety and depression through therapeutic means.

Research by a scientific team in 2023 who examined the relationship between gratitude and life satisfaction also shows that gratitude practices can improve more than your mood; they can increase your sleep quality and your overall sense of well-being.

Gratitude and the Brain

As a practice, gratitude works because it alters your brain by activating the reward system. This causes a release of feel-good chemicals like dopamine and serotonin, and calms the brain's stress and fear center, the amygdala. Regular gratitude practices result in new neural pathways being built in your brain, making it easier to remain positive over time.

A consistent gratitude practice alters the landscape of your brain by:

• Releasing neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin that boost your mood and satisfaction
• Reducing activity in the brain's fear and stress center and lowering cortisol levels, thereby calming your amygdala
• Strengthening the regions responsible for emotional regulation, empathy, and decision-making
• Increasing your gray matter volume in areas linked to cognitive tasks and learning

Building A Gratitude Practice

If you or a loved one is undertaking recovery for a substance use disorder (SUD), you can begin building your gratitude practice immediately. One tried-and-true method is gratitude journaling. Set aside a time at the end of every day when you write about the positive impact recovery is having or will have on your life. You can also include anything else that is positive about your day.

At first, you may feel resistance to recording these pluses. However, with continued practice, you will train your brain to more readily recognize the benefits associated with recovery as well as joys throughout your day, no matter how small.

As alternative or additional practices, consider keeping a running list of specific moments you appreciate each day. These might include waking feeling rested, a good cup of coffee, or a text from a friend. You can also build a mindful wake-up practice, choosing to take five minutes for yourself each morning to reflect and acknowledge one reason you are glad you have chosen recovery.

Finally, take time to pause and appreciate the small things. This might be a cool breeze, the opportunity to perform an act of service, or simply having access to food or clothing. There is always something to be grateful for once you have trained yourself to look.

Types of Gratitude Practice

If you find journaling isn't working for you, there are several other gratitude practices you can choose from. Sample a few to figure out what is the best fit for your new lifestyle.

The Gratitude Jar: Over time, fill a jar with notes of thanks to people or things that have supported you. Don't forget to include yourself. Read through your notes when times feel hard.

Intentional Noticing: Take a walk or simply look around you to see what you can discover that is positively impacting you right now. If your current moment feels too heavy, look for what has helped you in the past and express gratefulness for that support.

Gratitude Reminders: Set an alarm on your phone that reminds you to stop and name one thing you are grateful for.

Thank You Notes: Send a text or write a note telling someone a way they have supported you.

Pay It Forward: Help a friend or neighbor. By creating a positive interaction, you create gratitude.

Mindful Reflection: End your day with a phone-free walk to notice the beauty of the world around you, or by holding an image of a moment you are grateful for in mind before heading to sleep.

Help for Building Your Gratitude Practice

Sometimes getting started is the barrier. Fortunately, you don't have to launch a gratitude practice without support. The team at Lantana Recovery is versed in mindfulness and intentionality as part of therapeutic practices. In our individual and group counseling sessions, you can implement conscious gratefulness in a safe and supportive setting to lay the foundation for a lifelong practice that will support your health and well-being beyond recovery programming.

Recovery is a process that can feel overwhelming. Utilizing a gratitude practice, especially during early recovery, supports stress reduction through mindfulness. By intentionally paying attention to the positives daily, you can reduce anxiety, symptoms of depression, and improve your overall wellness. Gratitude works because it establishes healthy neural pathways in the brain. Through repetition, you can rewrite your brain's thinking patterns so you are better prepared and more able to focus on the positive. This is a healthy and meaningful practice that impacts other areas of your life beyond recovery. If you are seeking support for substance use recovery and implementation of a gratitude practice, contact the team at Lantana Recovery to learn how we can help at (866) 997-2870.