Maintaining a healthy level of motivation through the treatment process can be challenging, as treatment is typically not a short process. It can be difficult to stay motivated as progress may be subtle and hard to recognize. Keeping in mind that recovery is a process is essential. If it only took a few days or weeks, it would be easy. Recovery is an overall life adjustment that is not easy for anyone to accomplish, but it is rewarding. Fortunately, there are many ways to keep your level of motivation intact throughout this process.
Remember Your Goals
One of the most critical concepts to focus on is the reasoning behind the long-term goals you set for treatment. At one point, a part of you had a strong desire to achieve those goals. Channel that desire and remember why it was important to you. Review your goals daily when possible, and always work to keep them fresh in your mind.
Practice closing your eyes and picturing your life after treatment and after accomplishing these set goals. What does it look like? Do you feel happy?
Engaging in this practice can help you remember what your goals are and why you set them in the first place. Envisioning your future success can keep your level of motivation strong. If your goals seem too overwhelming or impossible to accomplish, try breaking them down into a smaller step-by-step plan. Then focus on your achievements within each step. This can make the goal feel more realistic to accomplish.
Develop Resilience
Resilience is defined as the ability to cope with unexpected circumstances and life changes. Developing this skill can help you understand changes in your surroundings during treatment and understand the process clearly. Being resilient can help you accept fallbacks in treatment and retain your motivation. The following practices will help you increase your level of resilience and maintain motivation through treatment:
- Exercising
- Meditation
- Rewarding yourself
- Keeping a journal
Taking time to reward yourself along the way for small milestones can help you maintain your motivation. Having reward checkpoints throughout your treatment process always gives you something to look forward to within reach. Choosing a reward that is meaningful to you can help you establish a level of self-confidence. If the end goal isn’t motivating enough for you, create smaller moments that are rewarding to look forward to.
Give Yourself a Break
It is perfectly acceptable to rest your mind and body throughout recovery every once in a while. This does not mean letting go of the habits you are creating, but it does mean allowing a day for healthy forms of self-care. Spending a day watching your favorite television show, reading, taking a bath, spending time in nature, playing a sport, or doing something enjoyable is vital to the treatment process.
Forcing ourselves into full recovery mode can be straining and quickly lead to decreased motivation. Having these rest days once a week or as needed can help you enjoy the recovery process. Recovery is difficult, but parts of it can also be fun. Give yourself time to enjoy life.
Surround Yourself With Positive Influences
The people you surround yourself with can have a significant effect on the overall progress in treatment. Finding individuals who will cheer you on and encourage your success can help you keep your motivation thriving. Motivation can also go both ways. If you and a fellow peer are constantly keeping each other motivated, that can help you to retain motivation and be a positive influence on someone else.
This skill is essential to incorporate into your life after treatment as well. Finding a social support group of individuals that boost your confidence can help you retain motivation even after treatment.
Believe in Yourself
Motivation as a whole comes from the concept of believing in yourself. If you constantly doubt your ability to complete your goals or do well at something, you are subconsciously decreasing your motivation levels. Believing that you are capable of completing your goals and succeeding in treatment is essential in retaining motivation levels.
There will always be moments of self-doubt, which is completely normal. However, allowing yourself to dwell in this state of mind will only push you farther from your goal. Use moments of self-doubt to remind yourself how capable you are. Remind yourself that you can do this. Your mind has a strong power over your ability to do anything. If you believe you are incapable, then sadly, you are. Remind yourself of your capabilities and prove that you are strong and motivated to succeed.
Maintaining motivation throughout the treatment process can be difficult. This challenge is essential to overcome to successfully complete treatment and get the most possible out of the situation. There will always be times when your motivation is diminishing, but there are many practices you can engage in to avoid this from happening or regain your motivation levels. Keeping your goals fresh in your mind and picturing how success would improve your future can be very motivating. This practice will remind you of why you are going through this process in the first place. Improving your level of resilience can also keep your motivation on track. Adapting to changes will help you avoid losing motivation altogether. Always give yourself time to relax in treatment and let yourself enjoy the milestones along the way. To learn more about how you can maintain motivation throughout treatment, reach out to Dream Recovery at (949) 732-1960.
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