Creating a success plan to engage in after treatment can be overwhelming for many individuals. Treatment often provides an aura of stability and escape from outside problems. Shifting from having a support system constantly around you to living on your own can be an intimidating change. You are now tasked with facing the world’s external problems while creating stability for yourself, all without a constant surrounding support system.
Typically, before being released from treatment, you are required to come up with a post-treatment plan with your therapist. They will provide you with personal recommendations to create an exit plan catered to you specifically. The more individually detailed your plan is, the more likely it is to be successful.
Set Goals
The first step in creating your exit plan is to make a list of goals for yourself. Write down a list of three short-term goals and five long-term goals. Encourage yourself to be as specific as you can. Write down what these goals will help you to accomplish. Setting goals and keeping them fresh in your mind is extremely important, yet it is also vital to acknowledge the steps you need to take to achieve them. The following techniques from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) can help you to create well-defined goals and work through the process of accomplishment.
Goal-Setting Techniques
According to Jordan Etkin, time is an essential element of goal setting. Establishing a realistic timeframe for the goal you set can help relieve the pressure of failure. Allow yourself the needed amount of time to complete your goals, and don’t be afraid to alter that time frame if needed. Progress should not be rushed for true long-term success.
One way to keep your goals fresh in your mind is to recite them daily. Right when you wake up in the morning, recite your goals for the day as you look yourself in the mirror. Think about what you need to accomplish that day to work toward these goals. This promotes your thoughts to focus on the aspects of these goals and can be a huge motivational factor for your success.
Here are some goal-setting techniques to utilize:
- Specify steps
- Set targets for yourself
- Find a way to measure progress
- Set a time frame
- Prioritize goals
- Reflect on the process
Plan Out Your Day
Having a structured schedule is a key factor in our overall mental well-being. Keeping a planner or using some form of organization to plan out your day can make this task easier. Habits that create a healthy lifestyle have to start somewhere. With this positive change in your life, you will be able to keep the safety structure of a treatment center but with the freedom to do what you choose.
Something physical, something mental, and something enjoyable are three activity categories you should incorporate into your daily agenda. These things can be covered through a job, a hobby, or any other aspect of your life. Covering this balance for your mind will allow room for you to focus on other necessities as well.
Track Your Progress
While you are getting situated into your life after treatment, it is important to reward yourself for your hard work. Referring back to the goals you set, create reward checkpoints for your progress within each of those goals. Treat yourself to something you would enjoy, like your favorite meal or a new pair of shoes, when you reach these goals. Reminding yourself of your hard work and allowing yourself to be proud of improvement reinforces the positive effect of these goals.
Identifying any triggers that may be causing you to feel halted in your recovery is also important. These triggers can be a wide variety of things, depending on your situation. Discovering what negatively impacts your mental health can be hard to accept but very beneficial. Recognition of your triggers can also help you prevent them from damaging your progress. It allows you to cope with these triggers or avoid them if necessary. It also allows you to discover aspects that positively influence your progress.
Lastly, follow-ups are highly recommended to ensure you are staying on the right track. If not, a follow-up can provide you with feedback on what to improve on. If you are doing well, it is good to get an extra form of reassurance. Exit plans after treatment typically will change to best suit the individual. Follow-ups give you a time when you can reevaluate your plan and add or take away aspects of it to suit your current progress. Always be searching for opportunities that encourage you to continue improving.
Creating an exit plan can be a tedious additional task on top of adjusting to the overall change in all your surroundings when leaving treatment. However, exit plans are important to establish to set yourself up for success after discharging from a treatment facility. Many individuals struggle with this adjustment and have a hard time remembering the skills they had previously learned. Adding the skills you have learned into an everyday routine increases the chance of them becoming a habit. Following key success points while creating your post-treatment plan can provide you with the structure you need to move forward. Setting goals, creating a schedule, planning your days, and tracking your progress over time are all important to contemplate in your steps toward a successful exit plan and adjustment to real life. For further questions or help in creating your exit plan, reach out to Dream Recovery at (949) 732-1960.
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