Gratitude can be a vital tool, whether you’re in recovery from a substance use disorder or struggling with other personal challenges such as relationship problems, economic hardship, mental health issues, illness, and grief. The healing power of gratitude can help retrain your brain to help reorient it out of despair.
Gratitude helps us realize that our challenges are not the only things in our lives at any given moment and that, even in the most extreme situations, there are still things for which to be grateful. I like to think of gratitude as a muscle you flex that becomes stronger over time and can help redirect you out of despair and into the bigger picture of life’s possibilities.
Whether you’re in recovery or looking for more ways to find peace during the holidays, these practices can build your gratitude awareness and let you know about the healing power of gratitude
Say “Thank You”
Margaret Visser, an anthropologist and author of The Gift of Thanks, writes that the first ways we learn about gratitude is when our parents teach us to say “thank you” in response to someone doing something for us or giving something to us. Although children may not actually feel grateful the first time they say thank you, it sets the seeds for understanding the concept as they get older. And, don’t forget to say thank you yourself. “Children often pay more attention to actions than words,” says KnowMore.TV adolescence expert Jennifer Powell-Lunder, Ph.D., a clinical child psychologist in New York.
Write Thank-You Notes
It may seem old-fashioned, but sitting down to write a thank-you note, with pen and paper, gives you a chance to reflect on what’s been given and what it means to you and to convey that to the giver. It’s also another useful tool for teaching children about gratitude.
Wrap Presents
Make time to wrap presents, suggests Visser. It will reflect the care and love you feel for the recipient, she writes, which contributes to feelings of gratitude. Plus, the attention required to wrap the gift allows you time to reflect on the recipient and why you are grateful for his or her friendship.
Say Grace
Extend the Thanksgiving Day practice of giving thanks to every day. Before you dig in, hold hands with your dinner companions and ask each one to describe something he or she is thankful for — and encourage the other diners to really listen.
Keep a Gratitude Journal
In addition to (or instead of) listing your appointments or what you did that day, write down what you were thankful for each day or each week. This helps shift your focus from the neutral or negative to the positive.
Think Like Snoopy
If you really want to be grateful for everything, focus on being more mindful and aware of the people in your life, says Dr. Powell-Lunder: “By making a commitment to practice seeing things from the point of view of others, you build empathy and compassion.”
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