Thanksgiving Reflection

Thanksgiving is a day built around gratitude, but for many in recovery, it can bring mixed emotions. Family dynamics, memories, stress, and internal pressure can activate old patterns. Gratitude becomes more than a holiday theme. It becomes a neurological intervention, a way to shift your brain from survival into safety, from fear into presence, from lack into abundance.

Gratitude changes the brain. When you intentionally acknowledge something good, the prefrontal cortex becomes more active. This is the region responsible for decision making, emotional regulation, and self control. At the same time, gratitude reduces activity in the amygdala, calming fear and anxiety. This creates a measurable shift in the brain’s chemistry, increasing dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. These chemicals enhance mood, connection, and resilience.

Reframing negative moments into positive meaning is not toxic positivity. It is a neurological skill. The brain has a natural negativity bias, meaning it pays more attention to danger than safety. This is helpful for survival but harmful for emotional peace. Reframing teaches your brain to recognize what is going well along with what is hard, creating balance instead of denial.

Why gratitude is powerful in recovery: • Strengthens emotional regulation. Gratitude activates the prefrontal cortex and reduces stress responses. • Improves resilience. By focusing on what is supportive or meaningful, the brain becomes better at adapting to challenges. • Enhances connection. Gratitude releases oxytocin, which deepens trust and warmth with others. • Reduces depression and anxiety. Regular gratitude practice shifts the brain’s baseline toward hope instead of fear. • Creates new neural pathways. The more you notice the positive, the more your brain expects and recognizes it.

How to reframe negative into positive in a healthy way: • Acknowledge the difficulty first. Honesty soothes the nervous system. • Look for the meaning. Ask what the moment is teaching you. • Identify the resource. Notice what is available to you, not only what is missing. • Highlight progress. Recognize how far you have come, even if the moment feels challenging. • Shift the language. Replace “This is happening to me” with “This is happening for me to grow.”

In my own recovery, gratitude changed everything. Not because my life suddenly became easy, but because my brain learned to interpret challenges differently. What once felt like a threat began to feel like an opportunity to grow, to practice stability, and to prove to myself that I was becoming stronger than my past.

Thanksgiving is not just a holiday. It is a reminder that your brain is rewiring, healing, and learning to see the world through a lens of possibility. Gratitude is the bridge between where you are and who you are becoming.

Journal Prompts:

1. What are three things you are genuinely grateful for today, no matter how small?

2. What recent challenge offered you an opportunity to grow?

3. How has gratitude changed your emotional state during recovery?

4. What negative thought can you gently reframe into a lesson or source of strength?

5. How can you bring more gratitude into your daily routine moving forward?

To learn the tools and techniques to properly reframe your negative thoughts into grateful, positive ones, sign up for a call here: https://calendly.com/alexgarner/sober-reset-call