Being Grateful This Holiday Season

While gratitude is an important part of your day to day recovery, it can also play a pretty powerful role in helping you manage the holiday season. And we don’t just mean being grateful for the gifts that you receive. 

The holidays can be tough for those of us in recovery – whether you’re missing friends and family or struggling with some intense (and even unexpected) emotions this time of year – and a gratitude-filled approach for handling it all can help. 

After all, having an attitude of gratitude has been linked with less anxiety, fewer toxic emotions, increased happiness and better sleep. Plus, recognizing all that you have to be thankful for –especially during stressful times – can help foster resilience.

Here are a few ways to practice gratitude this holiday season:

• Start a gratitude routine. Each evening, write down three good things about your day  –and you’ll soon see that there are plenty of large and small blessings to count.
• Focus on the sunny side. The next time you feel overwhelmed by stress, gently guide your focus back to one thing for which you feel grateful. If it helps, jot it down on paper and display it prominently as a visual reminder of how you want to feel this holiday season. The more you practice, the easier it will become overtime to be a thankful person.
• Go public. Pick one thing you’re grateful for this week and post it on your social media or in a forum on an online support group. This will help reinforce your attitude of gratitude.
• Be thankful for things that haven’t yet happened. Sure, it’s nice to count your blessing for today – but what about being grateful for all of those wonderful things ahead in your new sober life? Give this idea from LifeandBeautyWeekly.com a try: “Close your eyes and imagine that you’re standing on a carpet of gratitude. Imagine that you’re walking down the carpet past all the wonderful experiences that await you: a dream job, your wedding day, the birth of your child, a trip to Paris. By thanking the universe for blessings in advance, you’ll develop a sense of gratitude even when things don’t seem to be going your way.”

Wishing you a holiday season filled with joy and gratitude!

Grateful for Female Support

Our "sisters in recovery" are ready and willing to support you through the upcoming holidays. At Rising Roads, women can be fearful, supported, and courageous at the same time. To learn more about our gender-specific rehab, call us today: 866-746-1558. 

3 Reasons Why Doctors Should Prescribe a Daily Dose of Gratitude

Instinctively, you know that being grateful for what you have just feels right. When you think about how fortunate you are, you’re more apt have a brighter outlook, be more productive at work and have more energy throughout the day.

And, for those pursuing a new life free from addiction – the benefits are much more profound. Filling your heart with gratitude can reduce your risk of relapse too. But, did you know that the benefits of practicing gratitude can go much deeper than that? Multiple scientific studies have proven that it can do wonders for your health overall.

In addition to helping you walk towards a life of sobriety, practicing gratitude on a regular basis can help boost your emotional, psychological and physical health too.

If you need a bit of encouragement to start making more time for gratitude in your routine, here are three reasons to help you get inspired and give it a try!

(1) You’ll feel better about yourself. 
It’s a fact. We could all benefit from a boost in self-esteem from time to time. And, gratitude can help you do just that. In fact, in a 2014 study that appeared in the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, athletes who practiced gratitude on a regular basis reported higher levels of self-esteem.

(2) Your heart will thank you.
Literally. In recent study, researchers compared the rates of heart damage among two groups of adults – those that practiced gratitude frequently and another cohort that didn’t. They found that heart damage was substantially lower among those with higher levels of gratitude. That same group also reaped even more health benefits including more positive moods, less inflammation and better quality sleep.

(3) You’re more likely to make heathy choices at the dinner table. 
You might be surprised to know that the simple act of giving thanks also correlates to better nutrition. One study actually found that people who keep gratitude journals have reduced dietary fat intakes up to 25 percent lower than those who do not.

Practicing gratitude on a regular basis can help improve your quality of life in lots of ways and it doesn’t have to be complicated. Grab a notebook, find a quiet spot and write down a few things (and people!) you are thankful for today.

Reduce Your Risk of Relapse by Learning New Life Skills

Rising Roads Recovery wants to help you educate yourself on your very own patterns. Addiction is a chronic disease and a previous relapse does not mean failure – nor is relapse necessary for long-term recovery. Just like everyone’s recovery plan looks different, so does everyone’s relapse avoidance plan. You have a unique history that needs to be accounted for in your plan. And we’re here to help; we’re here to plan, support, and love. To learn more, call today: (866) 746-1558.