12 Ways to Practice Gratitude

Published: Dec 10, 2022

Updated: Dec 10, 2022

For people in recovery, the holiday season delivers a unique set of opportunities. Though relationships with family members may be strained after addiction, there is no better time than the holidays to begin or continue repairing and strengthening those bonds. Taking the time to really meditate on all the things that are wonderful in life is an excellent choice every day in recovery.

Tis’ The Season To Strengthen Recovery

Here are 12 ways that you can practice gratitude in recovery this holiday season:

Be present with family. If you spend time with your family during the holidays, do more than just show up and sit on your phone. Seek out people you haven’t had a conversation with in a while, or seek to have a positive conversation with someone you are struggling with relationally. Keep conversations light and focused on them. Ask how they are, and what they are doing, or offer to help if they are cooking. Be present and active with your family, and be grateful for those relationships, whatever it is that you learn from them.
Write a thank you note. No emails, texts, or calls. Take the time to write out a thank you note to whomever cooks the meal you eat this holiday, the person who gave you a ride, or the friend or family member who supplied the pumpkin pie. Pick someone who made your holiday better and write them a handwritten note to express your gratitude.
Write out a gratitude list. It is easy to mentally think through all the things for which you are grateful, but it takes a little more time to focus and write it all out. This practice makes you actively meditate upon each thing, considering the positives it has brought into your life and how can you express your gratitude through appreciation.
Take a walk. There is nothing like getting out in the world to remind yourself of all the details that make being alive so amazing. Whether it’s the flowers and butterflies that cross your path or the architecture of the buildings around you and the people you pass on the sidewalk, a walk can remind of you why you are where you are and what you have to be grateful for.
Get up early. First thing in the morning when things are at their most quiet you can take an uninterrupted moment to meditate, be with yourself, be present at the moment, and just breathe.
Cook something from scratch. When you go through the process of choosing to make something, buying the ingredients, mixing it up, and taking the time to bake it or cook it, you put a little bit of yourself into your food. There is something very mindful about cooking, a requirement to be present and thoughtful about your eating, with built-in moments for gratitude.
Become a mentor. Helping someone else to feel stronger and do better in life is a reward in itself, and being in a position to help someone is something to be thankful for.
Listen. Take a moment this holiday season to listen to children, the older people in your life, your best friend, your parents, your buddy, and people in the 12-Step meeting you attend. Just listen without trying to fix them, offer advice, or counter with your own similar story. Being present, and being there for someone else is a way of actively being grateful for all the times that someone was there for you.
Take a break from social media. Too often, social media use can trigger feelings of jealousy, depression, or anger. If that is the case for you, take some time off for the holiday weekend and focus instead on the things that bring you joy.
Read something uplifting. There are a number of great books out there that can help you to manage specific issues you may be facing, help you to experience things you may never otherwise know about, and escape into fantastical fictional worlds of adventure and beauty. During the holiday weekend, take time and read something amazing – an old favorite or something new – and be grateful for the intricacies of your mind.
Tell your therapist all the ways in which you are lucky. The next time you meet with your therapist, instead of focusing on the issues that are challenging for the entire session, dedicate a small block of time to reveling in all the things you have to be grateful for and allow the positive to dominate your discussion for a few minutes.
Repeat. Practicing gratitude is most beneficial to recovery when it becomes a regular habit. Take whatever methods of recognizing what you have to be grateful for listed above and begin to make them a regular part of your life during the holidays and through the next year.

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