The upcoming Thanksgiving holiday is a good reminder of the importance of practicing gratitude in your recovery. Research has shown that gratitude benefits our mental health in numerous ways. Reflecting on what we are thankful for in challenging times helps us cope because it shifts our focus away from our struggles, even if only temporarily. Gratitude can also increase our mental strength, help us stop comparing ourselves to others, reduce our stress, and foster resilience.
“Practicing gratitude is how we acknowledge that there’s enough and that we’re enough.” —Brené Brown
What does gratitude look like in eating disorder recovery? Here are some ways you can express it:
Acknowledge your accomplishments
Being grateful for where you are in recovery can remind yourself how far you have come, as well as help you practice self-compassion when you face a setback. Progress can feel slow and changes can seem imperceptible, which can be frustrating. Don’t discredit your accomplishments, no matter how small. Thank yourself for taking the necessary steps. Everything from contacting a new provider to trying a new restaurant is a meaningful part of recovery.
Thank your support system
Connection is so important in recovery. Having people you can trust and lean on as you navigate life in your eating disorder recovery makes the experience so much less isolating. Expressing gratitude can help you maintain strong relationships with those who support you, so don’t take anyone for granted. Be sure to let those who are always there to lend an ear or offer encouragement know how much they mean to you.
Recognize all that you are
Sometimes in eating disorder recovery, we can start to identify with our illness. While you might feel as though being sick is a huge part of your life, it’s important to remember that you had a life before your eating disorder, you will have a life after it, and even right now, your life exists outside of your eating disorder. You are a full person with skills, dreams, and interests. Take time to recognize and be grateful for all the things that make you, you. If you only see yourself as an illness, recovery hardly feels worthwhile. When you honor yourself as a whole person, not just someone who is “sick,” you will be more motivated to recover to reach a life beyond your eating disorder.
Thank your body
You don’t have to love your body to be grateful for it. Think of the places you have been and the positive experiences you have had, all while in this very body. Regardless of how it looks, your body has allowed you to live your life. Take some time to reflect on how your body has helped you survive in this world. Being grateful for all your body does for you can help you move forward in recovery, even if there are things about your body that you desperately want to change.
When you’re in the midst of an eating disorder, gratitude can be hard, because the challenges you face take so much mental energy. It’s important to not only cultivate an attitude of gratitude, but to practice gratitude, which can give you the strength you need to continue on in recovery. Research also shows that practicing gratitude makes us more joyful, and who doesn’t want to experience more joy in their life?
Practicing gratitude can look like keeping a gratitude journal or making a daily or weekly habit of jotting things down you are grateful for. It’s a good ritual for the end of particularly trying days, and even when you’ve had good days, it’s important to savor them by pinpointing and lingering with the things you are grateful for.
If you are a California resident looking for a telehealth option for eating disorder treatment, book a 15-minute consultation with us to find out how we can help you.
