Harmon was in the dark as anyone about Woodland’s travails, only that he would play well only to have a big number or an inexplicable bad stretch of golf. Woodland said there were times he would be over a shot and forget which club he was hitting, or he would line up a putt and feel he was taking too long and then just whack it. Waialae, located along the shores just around the bend from Diamond Head, is among the flattest courses on the PGA Tour.
Taking time out from your busy life will give you perspective, time to take stock and see what you have, and room to enjoy your life. The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratus which means ‘pleasing; welcome; agreeable’. In recovery, gratitude is a foundational principle that helps to diminish the self-centered nature of addiction and cultivate a positive mindset. The quicker you can assume a position of feeling gratitude for being sober, the more likely your recovery will be successful and make a lasting impact on your ability to maintain sobriety. Those who view recovery as a burden or see their recovery experience as negative are more likely to turn back to alcohol or drugs.
How Gratitude Can Impact Addiction Recovery
Practicing gratitude is all about being grateful and thankful for what you have. When you focus on all the things you don’t have, it creates an attitude of ungratefulness and fosters negative emotions like jealousy and anger. Negativity can be detrimental to your recovery and make a life in sobriety seem dark, empty, and lonely. Gratitude isn’t just a nice thing to practice — it’s essential for long-term recovery.
If you have another small object you’d rather use instead, feel free to substitute that for the rock. The secret to this exercise is that the rock is a symbol, a physical object you can use, gratitude and recovery to remind yourself of what you have. Paying attention to what you are grateful for becomes easier as you practice it. To maintain sobriety, we can remember how horrible using actually was.
Gratitude Helps Recovery
Social and emotional learning is now incorporated into the curriculum. Here are some resources to utilize in planning gratitude lessons. Consistent practice is required for neuroplasticity to occur (Kini et al., 2016). Regular gratitude practice works because it slowly changes how we perceive situations by modifying what we focus on (Kini et al., 2016). Rather than constantly focusing on what we do not have, we learn to focus on what we do have.
These practices can lead to an enhanced sense of wellbeing, among other benefits, although enhanced wellbeing is enough of a benefit for most of us. The goal of the gratitude walk is to observe the things you see around you as you walk. Be aware of nature, the colors of the trees, the sounds the birds make, and the smell of the plants. Follow these steps to journey to the gratitude garden (All Done Monkey, 2012). When you flip this switch multiple times a day, you will likely find that your average day has become much more positive.
Why Gratitude Is Important to Recovery
It’s more than just noticing the good but identifying the external sources of goodness. Whether it is other people or a spiritual higher power, goodness in your life comes from the outside. “Gratitude is a byproduct of internalizing the 12 steps,” Jacob said. Conditioning your mind to be thankful instead of sorry is a sure sign your attitude of gratitude is improving. Another way to practice gratitude is to shift the tone of your conversations to eliminate self-blame. Instead of responding to questions with “I’m sorry,” or worse, using “I’m sorry” as a greeting, like “I’m sorry I’m late,” or “I’m sorry for taking so long to email you,” say “thank you” instead.
For individuals in recovery, this is especially important during the holiday season, which can bring about stress, loneliness, and triggers. Cultivating gratitude can help you manage these emotions and stay on track. Gratitude is more than just saying “thank you”; it’s a fundamental aspect of addiction recovery. Being grateful helps shift your focus from what you’ve lost to what you’ve gained through sobriety.
How to Practice Gratitude in Recovery (and why it matters)
When you first start practicing gratitude, it’ll take some time to make it a regular habit. But there are proactive steps you can take to make it a seamless part of your life as quickly as possible. You might write in a gratitude journal or have an alarm go off periodically as a reminder to stop and reflect. A quick way to practice gratitude is by making a list of things you’re grateful for in recovery each day.