A term you see used frequently this time of year is “gratitude.” Gratitude is important to those in recovery for various reasons. However, people on a recovery journey are not the only ones who can derive benefits from understanding and practicing gratitude. Learning to practice gratitude yields positive outcomes for our mental health and helps us find a deeper connection with our spiritual wellbeing.
According to Merriam Webster, mindfulness is the practice of maintaining a nonjudgmental state of heightened or complete awareness of one’s thoughts, emotions, or experiences on a moment-to-moment basis. Practicing mindfulness can help use ease stress of our hectic lives day to day, improve memory, increase awareness, lower anxiety, lower reactivity, and help use manage physical sensations like pain amongst other wellness benefits. Read below for some ideas on practicing mindfulness.
“People think I’m cautious and outspoken because I’m living in fear. They are wrong. I’m not living in fear. I’m living in grief and I want to spare others from it.”
If you want the TL:DR just read and process the quote above. Read it over and over. This is how I described my experience to my spouse and then to some close friends and why I take this pandemic so seriously. It took me a while to realize this but I’m thankful I did.