There are many facets to recovery. First and foremost, there is the biological aspect. When you first get sober, you will likely go through detox. This is a focus on your physical health by detoxing your body from the substance you were dependent on. In addition to physical well being, there is also emotional, psychological, and spiritual facets to recovery. Each of these are important aspects of your life.
Once you’ve taken care of the physical aspect of recovery, such as going through detox, working with a medical doctor, and making healthy food choices, it’s time to focus on your emotional, psychological, and spiritual well being. In fact, you might find that focusing on this part of your healing can also support your physical health. Many addiction treatment programs recognize that these facets of recovery are essential for true healing. It’s why the 12-step program includes connecting with a higher power, forgiving yourself and others, as well as making amends with those you may have harmed earlier in your life. And it’s not the 12-step program but many addiction treatment centers are now including activities such as meditation, yoga, and other relaxation techniques.
Ways to Boost Emotional and Spiritual Well Being
If you wanted to boost your emotional and spiritual well being on your own, take some time each day to write out what you’re grateful for. For example, you might feel grateful for the following:
- your children
- a bed to sleep in
- a place to call home
- the air to breathe
- a chance to start over
- the outdoors
- the fact that you woke up this morning
- family and/or friends
- free time
- modern technology
- your health
- a job
However, as you continue to make a list each day you might notice yourself feeling more and more grateful for the little things. Such as:
- the way your child smiled at you as you dropped him off at school
- the way the sunlight was shining on your kitchen table
- the way you were welcome to the new support group you’re attending
- the great skill and support of your therapist
- the way that your sponsor mentors you
Deepen the Gratitude
And you can continue to deepen the gratitude in your life by trying these suggestions:
- To stay grateful and positive throughout the day, make a commitment to yourself that you will not criticize or complain for a period of two weeks.
- Tell someone once a day what you see in him or her that you are grateful for.
- When you are in a challenging situation, try to see the positive in it. Look for what it is you can learn from it.
- Make notes throughout the year on how you’re feeling and whether or not your practice of feeling grateful is having an effect
These are some suggestions for building gratitude in your life. As mentioned earlier, the emotional, psychological, and spiritual facets of your recovery are just as important as your physical well being. Building gratitude is a way to positively influence each of these areas of your life.