Motivational writer William Arthur Ward once said, “Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” When you consider all the different coping methods you can use to reinforce your sobriety, expressing gratitude is a valuable resource. We’ve outlined steps for keeping a gratitude journal—now let’s examine what science says about the importance of giving thanks. 

The Circle of Goodness

The Latin word gratia means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness, and overall, these various meanings all apply to this concept—an appreciation for what you receive, whether tangible or intangible. Gratitude provides a fresh lens through which to view even the smallest victories, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and self-discovery. This emotional shift can be critical, offering a sustaining sense of hope and contentment that reinforces the commitment to a sober and fulfilling life.

While it’s certainly polite to say please and thank you, cultivating gratitude goes much deeper than that. The Greater Good Science Center (GGSC) at the University of California, Berkeley, indicates that researchers define it in these ways: 

• “It’s an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we’ve received.”
• Additionally, gratitude helps us recognize that “the sources of this goodness are outside of ourselves. We acknowledge that other people—or even higher powers, if you’re of a spiritual mindset—gave us many gifts, big and small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives.”

Changes to Your Brain

Positive Psychology also shares various studies that show just how your brain changes for the better when you express gratitude. Here are the noticeable differences it points out, which we provide verbatim: 

• At the brain level, moral judgments involving feelings of gratefulness are evoked in the right anterior temporal cortex. People who express and feel gratitude have a higher volume of gray matter in the right inferior temporal gyrus.

• When we express gratitude and receive the same, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two crucial neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions, and they make us feel ‘good’. They enhance our mood immediately, making us feel happy from the inside.

• Gratitude helps reduce fear and anxiety by regulating stress hormones, and fosters cognitive restructuring by evoking positive thinking.  

“Thanking others, thanking ourselves, Mother Nature, or the Almighty—gratitude in any form can enlighten the mind and make us feel happier. It has a healing effect on us,” the organization states. 

Reinforce Stronger Relationships

Harvard University notes that “a study of couples found that individuals who took time to express gratitude for their partner not only felt more positive toward the other person, but also felt more comfortable expressing concerns about their relationship.” 

The Via Institute on Character encourages us to improve relationships by “seeing other people’s character strengths as gifts.” Here are some of its examples, which we provide verbatim: 

• When your spouse makes the bed, give verbal thanks for their self-regulation. 

• If a friend calls or texts to check in, show gratitude for their love and kindness. 

• Express gratefulness to your co-worker for their perspective when navigating a challenge.

“Practicing gratitude helps to overcome adaptation/habituation and increases the meaning of good acts. It’s also beneficial when things aren’t going well in a relationship,” the organization states. “Next time you are facing a challenge with a difficult co-worker or an argument with a loved one, use gratitude to see the bigger picture. Maybe you don’t agree with your spouse’s decision to let the kids stay up past bedtime, but you can appreciate that they did it out of love to spend more time together. Focusing on gratitude helps ease resentment and temper anger.”

Reflections From Alcoholics Anonymous

Many people who use support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous are familiar with Daily Reflections. Here’s one, coupled with “As Bill Sees It”, that addresses the key point as to why giving thanks supports your sobriety. We’ve also provided this verbatim: 

“I try hard to hold fast to the truth that a full and thankful heart cannot entertain great conceits. When brimming with gratitude, one’s heartbeat must surely result in outgoing love, the finest emotion that we can ever know.”~AS BILL SEES IT, p. 37

“I believe that we in Alcoholics Anonymous are fortunate in that we are constantly reminded of the need to be grateful and of how important gratitude is to our sobriety. I am truly grateful for the sobriety God has given me through the A.A. program and am glad I can give back what was given to me freely. I am grateful not only for sobriety, but for the quality of life my sobriety has brought. God has been gracious enough to give me sober days and a life blessed with peace and contentment, as well as the ability to give and receive love, and the opportunity to serve others—in our Fellowship, my family and my community. For all of this, I have ‘a full and thankful heart.’” 

Whether you acknowledge God, a higher power, or the universe, it’s easy to see why this centering reflection makes a difference in how you choose to direct your sober intention. 

Find Hope at Sobriety Centers of New Hampshire

The Sobriety Centers of New Hampshire has three treatment centers with board-certified professionals offering an evidence-based approach to wellness: 

• The Antrim House in Antrim, a detoxification and residential treatment facility for men and women.
• Recovery Mountain in Tilton, a residence for Veterans and first responders as part of outpatient programming.
• The Lakes Addiction Treatment Center in Laconia, which offers inpatient, outpatient, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient rehabilitation programs for men and women.

Consult with our admissions team today if you or a loved one is ready to find hope, joy, and stability in sobriety.