Recovery can include a variety of approaches and treatments that vary depending on each individual’s situation. These differences can make creating a plan for recovery seem difficult. However, it can be helpful to remember that while each recovery plan is catered to individual needs, there are some key factors that can benefit everyone in addiction recovery.
When you are working through addiction, the main focus is to maintain sobriety. While this is the ultimate goal, remember that you are also working toward becoming your best self. Sobriety is an extremely important focus, of course, but you can work so that, at the end of recovery, you will have an overall life balance and structure that allows you to flourish.
Implementing the following ingredients into your recovery plan will help you set yourself up for success.
#1. Respect Yourself
When you are working through recovery, you will likely have to face the situations that arose and influenced you to make decisions you are not proud of and engage in bad habits. Forgiving yourself for making these mistakes can be challenging, but it is essential. To recover from addiction and develop a healthy state of mind, you need to have respect for yourself and your ability to grow. While each choice you make may not be perfect, accepting yourself for who you are and treating yourself with respect will go a long way in recovery.
One of the most common ways a lack of respect for oneself manifests is through negative emotions felt toward oneself. These emotions can hinder your progress. If you are constantly doubting your ability to succeed, for example, you are automatically setting yourself up for failure. A large portion of recovery success come from our mind and the thoughts we choose to believe. If you are constantly tearing yourself down, it can be incredibly hard to push through obstacles that come your way.
#2. Keep Yourself Healthy
It is common to have a variety of physical symptoms when experiencing withdrawal in recovery. These symptoms can cause you to feel sick and unhealthy. Ensuring that you are maintaining an adequate sleep schedule, engaging in exercise, drinking plenty of water, and eating nutritious foods can help you feel better during this stage. Implementing habits to help keep yourself healthy can positively impact your recovery and overall well-being.
A combination of these aspects can help you to successfully manage the next recommendation: maintaining balance. By taking care of your physical body and leading a healthy lifestyle, you are making it much easier for you to function at an optimal level and create balance in other aspects of your life.
#3. Maintain Balance
When working to overcome an addiction, you may find it easy to focus fully on the aspects of recovery and the idea of sobriety. While these focal points are essential, it is also important to work on yourself as a whole.
Creating balance in other areas of your life will set you up for future success in these areas and give you motivation and energy for your recovery journey. Conversely, if you can stay sober through treatment but do not work on developing any emotional regulation skills, you may relapse soon after you leave treatment due to heightened stress and an inability to handle your emotions.
The goal of recovery is to be able to hold yourself accountable and keep yourself on track for your future. To accomplish this, creating a sense of balance is necessary. Holistic practices can help you understand which aspects need improvement and make plans to improve in those areas. Gaining a variety of life skills and mental health skills can help you achieve success in different domains. Having these other areas of success can allow you to focus on your accomplishments and goals when withdrawal symptoms are present or an opportunity for relapse arises.
#4. Build Your Community
As you have likely learned through recovery, the people you surround yourself with and the community you choose to be involved with can have a large impact on your success. Establishing a healthy social circle and support group can make a large impact on your motivation and self-esteem when moving through and beyond the recovery process.
Getting positively involved with your community in a positive way can also have a variety of influences on your success. Find groups or other community members that work together to make the world a better place. Working to have a positive impact on your surrounding community can provide you with a strong sense of purpose and gratification for what you have. So many aspects of recovering from addiction and implementing skills into your everyday life begin with a positive mindset.
#5. Get Inspired
After working through the recovery process, you may have found that losing motivation to recover can happen often. Even after you have completed treatment, maintaining that motivation to continue down a successful path can be difficult. Discussing your struggles with your support group, journaling, reading books that promote feelings of motivation, and increasing levels of self-care can help keep you on the right track. Staying motivated will only strengthen your chances of success.
The recipe for recovery will be different for everyone; however, these simple adjustments can positively influence everyone in some way. A large portion of recovery is to implement self-control and manage your life as a sober individual. Respecting yourself, keeping yourself healthy, maintaining a level of balance, building your surrounding community, and staying inspired to achieve success are practices that can benefit you through this process. While the approach to each of these goals may differ, their aims and benefits are relatively universal. If you find that one of these areas needs extra focus, we recommend talking with your treatment team and implementing new habits focused on that specific area. Remember that each individual’s recipe for recovery will differ. Implement the practices that will be the most beneficial for your success. To learn more about the recipe for recovery, reach out to Dream Recovery at (949) 732-1960.