Skip to main content

Counting Our Blessings

One of the major factors contributing to our mental health issues is our mindset. We often direct our energy towards thinking and feeling the things that cause us the most pain and fear. We can even become fixated on them. Examples include our tendency to dwell on the things we want but don’t have, the ways in which other people’s lives are better than ours, the situations in our lives we’re unhappy about. We engage in thought patterns that deplete us of our energy, bring us down and block our ability to think positively. We instinctively hold ourselves back and close ourselves off to happiness and healing.

Our subconscious minds are designed to keep us safe, but this sometimes translates into keeping us confined to the habitual thought patterns of lack and negativity, to keep us from expanding and pushing out of our comfort zones in search of something more. What would happen if instead of focusing on all that is wrong or difficult in our lives, we gave more energy to thinking about everything that is life-affirming, positive and beautiful?

We may have heard the advice to “count your blessings,” but we often pass this over or forget it altogether when we are struggling and caught up in our painful thoughts. Sometimes when we are depressed, we almost instinctively want to stay depressed, because it can be easier to stay in that place than to do the difficult work of tackling the mindsets that are keeping us stuck.

When we are ready to start pulling ourselves out of that place, we can implement changes that may seem small but which have hugely transformational effects. Counting our blessings is one of these tools that we can introduce to start changing our mentalities. You woke up today. That is a blessing. If your mind responds with thoughts like “well, I wish I hadn’t woken up at all, I wish I weren’t alive,” try to counter those thoughts with affirming reminders that you have the capability to heal. It takes time and practice, but it is so worth it. Did you have enough food to eat today? That is a blessing. Were you able to see the sky, the sun, trees, birds flying? Those are blessings.

We can choose to see anything in our lives as blessings, including our challenges. Depression is a blessing in that it forces us to heal our pain. Without depression, we might just ignore our pain and live an emotionless life. We could choose to see it as a catalyst for deeper healing.

Listing our blessings can ease our anxiety, help us to think more positively, and allow us to live in gratitude.

Changing our thought patterns is a powerful, effective tool for holistic healing. Call (833) 801-LIVE to get the support you need.

Begin Your Recovery at Enlightened Recovery

Enlightened Recovery is here to help you or your loved one overcome drug and alcohol addiction as well as co-occurring mental health disorders. Our holistic treatment programs treat the whole person in recovery. We have locations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.

Get the help that you deserve now with Enlightened Recovery.