6 Ways Gratitude Can Help You Stay Sober

Gratitude Helps Us Make Better Decisions

If you could have $54 in cash now or $80 in three days, which would you choose?

A group of researchers asked one group of participants to think about events during the day that made them grateful and write them down in a journal. They found that many of the participants that did this were more likely to show restraint and patience, and ultimately opt to wait for the larger amount of money.

Gratitude Makes Us Optimistic

Let’s imagine that each day you would write down one of the three following things:

• Things that bothered you
• Interesting things that happened
• Things you were grateful for

Do you think that would have an impact on how you look at life? Researchers have found that the grateful group reported increased optimism and even that they exercised more and felt life was better – all just by writing things down they were grateful for.

Gratitude Helps You Sleep Better

A common problem people have when staying sober is getting quality sleep. You’ve probably heard about things like reducing blue light in the evening, not eating a couple hours before bed time, and not using a screen in your bed. However, starting a night time ritual where you write in a gratitude journal might be something you haven’t tried.

Gratitude & Loneliness Have A Negative Correlation

This one might seem obvious but if you’re feeling lonely, this could be a different way of looking at things. Feeling lonely is terrible, but practicing gratitude for what you have can be one small thing you can do about it.

Gratitude Makes You Less Materialistic & Envious

Accepting ourselves for who we are can be extremely difficult. There are so many things out there that can keep us distracted and always wanting more. This constant cycle can leave us feeling like we’re not good enough, or that we need something outside of us to make us happy. Practicing gratitude can squash those feelings.

Gratitude Grows New Relationships

It’s always a good thing to be nice to people, but researchers have found that showing gratitude to someone will make them more likely to seek an ongoing relationship. Whether someone holds the door open for you, or does something to help you out at work, showing a little acknowledgement can go a long way.