Many people would agree that the challenge in addiction recovery is not about having the will to start it but establishing consistency on the road to sobriety. After all, backsliding is next to natural, especially for humans. And the same context applies to pretty much anything else in life; for example, you’ll find that it’s easier to begin a hobby than to continue it for a long while.
However, the good news is that you can always keep your motivation in addiction recovery. Maintaining abstinence from the use of addictive substances like alcohol and drugs can be pretty tough, but you shouldn’t feel alone in that bubble. In fact, you have many people around you who can urge you to move forward to sobriety.
Consider these valuable tips that will urge you to move forward in addiction recovery:
1. Seek Help
Recovery will inevitably have bumps along the way. It’s human nature to cave in and appear frail in front of one’s weakness. And it’s healthy to accept this fact. However, instead of succumbing to defeat, seeking help is better. After all, addiction recovery is a journey, and it’s all about progression. Everyone struggles in the same journey as yours, and while it’s hard, to be honest within yourself, it will give you a sense of comfort in understanding that you should be open to accepting support and help from others. For instance, you can seek out help from an addiction recovery institution like Jackson House Addiction Treatment & Recovery Centers or other reputable rehabilitation centers that can provide assistance through and through.
It’s vital to have a support system and take advantage of positive and encouraging programs offered in such centers. This is a much more effective solution when you’re stuck in a rut with your addiction recovery. You may be able to re-ignite your motivation by reaching out to others. Addiction treatment professionals are ready to help you in your struggles. They can offer tips and pointers so you can renew your will and motivation again. These treatment centers offer individualized care plans so you can be attended to personally. Sessions are set, and you’ll be able to join a community with more people who can relate to your struggles.
People who want to get over their addiction to alcohol can go to alcohol rehab Lake Worth, where they will find a helpful and organized atmosphere. Some types of treatment are medical detox, counseling and therapy, and preparing for aftercare. The purpose of Alcohol Rehab in Lake Worth is to help people get and stay sober, as well as treat any underlying mental health problems that may be making them use.
2. Always Go Back To Your “Why”
Every person has a purpose or reason behind stopping their addiction. This is your “why.” Reconnecting with your reason for starting your recovery journey is a great step to regaining motivation in addiction recovery. In times of leniency and doubts, it’s helpful and healthy to remind yourself of the reasons why you’ve decided to stop your addiction. This is a strong motivator in itself.
Always begin the day by remembering and thinking of your personal goals. It’s always effective to pep talk yourself and realize how far you’ve come. All the small feats should accumulate into bigger wins if you continue to move forward. Ingesting these thoughts in your brain every day will motivate you back again. Think of who or what your reasons are. It can be related to your personal life, spiritual connection, family and relationships, or professional career. Whatever your “why” is, always go back to them.
3. Don’t Rush The Process
Despite this tip being overused, it’s worth a number on this list. Because really, you need to remind yourself to slow down. Don’t rush the process to addiction recovery. Keeping yourself pressured and stressed will do no good to your mental and physical health.
It’s best to take things one step at a time. No matter how little the progress is, you should be grateful for it and give yourself a pat on the back. Slowing down your recovery period is a more stable and surefire way to manage your recovery in the long run. Try living in the present, and let tomorrow worry for itself. What matters is that you’re saying no to all the substances you’ve already bid goodbye to in your life.
4. Surround Yourself With Positive People
Instead of isolating yourself, get social. It’s fun and exciting to join a community filled with positive people. Also, listening to the success stories of others is motivating and inspiring. In low times, you need to hear those life lessons so you can renew your motivation again. It will give you a sense of comfort knowing that others can relate to what you’re going through. And if they made it, you’ll surely can.
Seeing success stories can also remind you that you are totally capable of staying on track and achieving your own recovery goals. Aside from leaning to friends and family during and after treatment, it’s socially healthy to welcome new people into your life. To maintain sobriety, you need to be surrounded by people who care about your well-being and root for you. Replace the toxic and fake friends with people whom you’ve met in the recovery community. You’ll be surprised how some genuine relationships and friendships can blossom more over time.
You can turn to these people when you are feeling overwhelmed or stressed. If you’re ready to give up, they’ll keep you going by sending you words of encouragement and motivation. Developing a support network takes time, so don’t ever feel pressured if you can’t find anyone to trust for now.
5. Invest In Yourself
The road to recovery is a time to invest in yourself, so make the most of it. Every day, make time for things that you enjoy. There’s no guarantee that every day will be bright and sunny, but you should always keep loving yourself. This is an effective tip to renew your motivation every day. Sometimes, life gets in the way of your recovery goals, and you’ll be drowned with stress. However, you should find some ways to pamper and care for yourself whenever you find the time.
Investing in yourself is a long and lifetime journey. This doesn’t come with sessions like the ones you can enroll in recovery centers. Therefore, it’s wise to include self-love habits and practices in your daily life. You can practice self-care in diverse and creative ways. Here are some ways to do it:
- Practice Mindfulness: Maintaining sobriety requires mindfulness, especially because it can prevent you from relapsing. And when you think of mindfulness, the best practice is meditation, yoga, or even deep breathing. There are lots of references and guides that will help you practice effective mindfulness. This state or condition allows you to reframe negative beliefs into more positive ones. Slowing down and being aware of the present are key aspects of mindfulness. This makes it easier to deal with outside influences calmly and control your reactions to them. If you practice these daily habits, you can battle against demotivation during your addiction recovery.
- Exercise: Many studies have proven the correlation between mental health and exercise. However, still, many people fail to commit to physical exercise in their everyday routine. Recovering addicts have reported that exercising decreases their anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as their cravings for drugs. Working out helps you control your weight, reduce health risks, improve your mood, and give you the vigor and energy to enjoy life. All these are factors that will impact your addiction recovery positively. You can start slow in your physical fitness journey, and you’ll see how it can affect your train of thought every day. Commit to exercising at least thirty minutes daily and establish it as a routine that will steer you away from substances.
- Get Enough Sleep: Health is based on good sleep; recovering people need it even more. You need to be well-rested to be in your best condition, both mentally and physically. It is imperative that you get plenty of sleep, especially high-quality sleep, to stay dedicated to sobriety every day. The effects of poor sleep can be detrimental to your mental and physical condition. It will make you crave substances even more, and your mind might be too weak to pursue them otherwise. Therefore, make it a priority to get enough sleep every day. Experts would recommend having at least 7 hours of sleep every night. The key is to sleep at the same time in order to develop a constant routine.
6. Learn How To Deal With Doubts
Self-doubts are like poison in your mind. It will shut your mind down to think positively or creatively. Often, it will provoke you to second guess why you’re recovering from substance addiction and feed you with negative ideas. It will hinder your self-esteem and tell you that you’re not good enough to succeed in this journey. Doubts hinder inspiring ideas for addiction recovery. Before all these doubts start proliferating in your mind, you should learn how to deal with them once and for all.
Maintaining motivation requires reasonable expectations of success. Cope up with self-doubts by feeding your mind with positive thoughts. Replace doubtful ideas with a go-attitude. You’ll meet people who have achieved success despite significant challenges, and you should look up to them and use them as your role models. Another tip is to block out any doubtful questions in your mind and replace them with phrases such as ‘I can do it’ or ‘I will because I should.’
7. Try To Avoid Risky Situations And Temptations
There’s nothing wrong with blocking or removing toxic people from your life. If they’re the ones who brought or introduced you to alcohol and drugs in the past, it’s better to stay away from meeting them anymore. Chances are they’ll pull you back in. Even if they would tell you otherwise, it’s better to assume that they’ll force you to do the same as before.
To abstain from any substance, you should avoid temptations and risky situations. This means you need to detox from bars or attend parties that serve alcohol. There are many other alternative ways to have fun and socialize than participating in those high-risk events.
8. Adopt A Pet
Adopt a pet and see how this will help you with your addiction recovery issues. By having a pet, you’ll have someone to spend time with and feel happier and rejuvenated. Pets contribute to a healthier life, and many would agree about this.
Humans’ emotional response to animals tends to be strong. Depending on your preference for pets, you can decide to get a dog, cat, bird, or any household pet. The unconditional love that animals give boosts confidence and sparks interaction since they are judgment-free, with no preconceived notions.
Even individuals not recovering from addictions have long documented the benefits of having a pet as a companion. It is common for pet owners to be more active, get outdoors, and interact with other people as a result of their pets. Walking or playing with a dog is more conducive to a healthy, active lifestyle than drowning yourself with negative emotions and thoughts when recovering from addiction.
9. Start A New Hobby
Some hobbies that were fueling people’s addictions are often forced to be put on hold during recovery. If you’re used to partying in bars on weekends, you won’t be able to do that anymore, freeing up your time during weekend nights. It’s wise to start a new hobby to fill up your free time.
There are many hobbies to explore and try out. You can creatively think of any new hobby you weren’t able to try in the past. Now’s the best time to select an instrument, enroll in voice lessons, go into arts and crafts, or even join charities and other organizations.
10. Try Journaling
The ability to express yourself through writing in a journal can be a powerful tool for addiction recovery. It is possible to feel free and relieved by writing down your feelings and thoughts. This is a self-therapy that you can do anytime and anywhere. The process of recovery journaling can promote healing. You can be more expressive and honest with whatever you feel and experience and no one will judge you for that.
Whether you prefer to write in a physical notebook or type on your smartphone, expressing your emotions and ideas through journaling is really helpful. This also allows you to record every event and situation that’s painful, easy, or fun for you. You can look back on your journey by keeping everything recorded in your journal.
Conclusion
As you begin your addiction recovery, you must work hard, be dedicated, and make an effort to get better. However, the challenge gets more serious when the will to backslide and relapse kicks in. The good news is that staying motivated to remain on the course is possible no matter what your doubts are. Hopefully, you can apply the tips mentioned above to continue your journey to being sober.