As you already know, addiction changes you in many ways. You might have dealt with mood swings, paranoia, anxiety, depression, memory loss, or health issues like organ damage or gastrointestinal disease. Or you might have gone to jail or paid hefty fines for driving under the influence (DUI). Or worse, you might have committed homicide while high on drugs.
But now that you’re aware that addiction only brings suffering, you’re taking a step toward addiction recovery. That alone is already significant progress since it shows you care about your well-being and those around you.
If you doubt your ability to overcome your addiction, that’s only natural. Here are some of the common challenges of those like you on the road to recovery:
- Talking about shame and trauma without resorting to substances
- Repairing old relationships with loved ones
- Getting bored due to the lack of fulfilling activities
- Transitioning out of rehab
- Relapsing
If you experience any of these obstacles, you might feel demotivated and then have the urge to return to substance abuse. But did you know that with the right motivation, you can get through them? Recreate Life Counseling can provide you with the support and guidance needed to stay on track and follow your treatment plan. When you’re motivated, you’re more likely to achieve successful, lasting recovery. Here’s an in-depth guide to help you motivate yourself throughout addiction recovery:
Set Recovery Goals
Recovery is overwhelming, especially if you’re taking your first step toward it. There could be instances when you’d even doubt your progress, which might make you want to return to your addiction.
An excellent way to combat this is through setting attainable goals. It may be completing your recovery program at Jacksonhouserehab.com or a similar addiction rehabilitation facility. Or maybe you don’t like how you behave when you’re under the influence of a substance. So you’re attending the program for your safety and for everyone around you.
Just ensure that these goals are time-bound, a kind of pressure that can keep your drive to achieve them.
Connect With Others
Isolation causes you to drive back to addiction because the loneliness or idleness you might feel might push you to crave the substance.
On the other hand, individuals in the Canadian area connecting with others who are also receiving Canadian treatment for Alcohol Addiction might help feel less lonely during recovery. When you seek support from sober loved ones, they’ll help you stay on track. This is vital as it motivates you to stay on track with your recovery goals. They’ll remind you of the importance of maintaining your sobriety, including the benefits of staying away from substance use.
If your family and friends are also addicts, consider finding a support group in your community or online platforms. A support group includes a licensed counselor who acts as the facilitator, guiding each member to reach sobriety. With a moderator, group members can share their experiences without feeling judged.
As you seek support from people, consider adopting a pet who can be your best buddy during recovery. Whether it’s with a cat, dog, bird, or rabbit, bonding with a pet may reduce your loneliness. Aside from that, you might even improve your mindset about addiction treatment. In other words, having an animal companion can reduce boredom, which might lead to substance cravings.
Avoid Triggers At All Costs
Another thing to ensure success in your addiction recovery is avoiding triggers—people, events, things, or places that can cause stress, anxiety, and fear. That said, even positive events, like getting a new promotion or achieving a milestone, might trigger alcohol or drug abuse.
The following are some tips you can do to avoid trigger-induced relapses:
- Stay away from people who bring out negative emotions, like anger or fear.
- Avoid social places where alcohol is available.
- Sever toxic relationships.
- Refrain from visiting places that you associate with substance use, such as bars, clubs, restaurants, or parties with a high risk of temptation.
- Avoid accepting invitations from friends or workmates still using alcohol or drugs.
- Consider moving to a new place if your family is toxic.
- Remove yourself from stressful situations.
Awareness of your triggers helps you refrain from being associated with or facing them. It reduces the chances of relapses, especially if you have a plan to counter such situations.
Show Gratitude
Gratitude gives you a reason to celebrate the small victories in life. You can write in a gratitude journal listing everything you’re grateful for. It can be as simple as being thankful for waking up in the morning or staying sober for a week.
Or you could join a local organization and volunteer an hour a day there. This gives you a sense of purpose since you know that your efforts are helping others.
You may also send out donations to communities to give back to them. These can be valuable items that you cleared out of your home—be they pairs of shoes, old clothing, houseware, or electronics, like CD players and cameras. Doing so can give you satisfaction, knowing that those things have helped someone in need.
Practice Self-Care
Self-care is an essential factor in addiction recovery. It’s an excellent way to maintain mental and physical health. Although self-care varies from one person to another, here are useful tips you can practice:
- Eat nutritious food, like fruits and vegetables. You can opt for local healthy meal plan deliveries, which are your best options if you don’t have time to prepare healthy meals daily.
- Stay hydrated since water helps flush out toxins from your body. Keep a water bottle next to you and bring it wherever you go. This prevents you from feeling fatigued throughout the day.
- Dedicate some alone time to yourself. The isolation during sobriety might trigger substance cravings, but this one’s different. During this type of isolation, you won’t be idle. You can watch new movies on streaming platforms or read a book peacefully inside your bedroom. Just make sure there are no substances around that might spark your cravings.
- Get enough sleep at night by maintaining a sleep schedule. If you’re having trouble sleeping, consider putting your phone away from your bed. Or maybe you can adjust your bedroom environment by keeping it cool and dim. You may even ask your therapist if you need sleeping pills, especially if you have insomnia.
- Take breaks from school or work by considering the Pomodoro method. It’s a time-management technique of using a timer every twenty-five minutes to work on a task until it rings. This prevents burnout and stress, helping you avoid the need to seek illegal substances.
- Exercise regularly by simply going on ten-minute walks in a local park. Or, if you have time, consider hitting the gym five times a week. Exercising improves your mood by releasing brain chemicals, like endorphins, that provide feelings of happiness. Instead of resorting to substance abuse, you’ll have a positive outlook on life while staying healthy.
- Listen to music from genres like inspirational, dance-pop, or musical show tunes. You can even invite your sober friends to have a mini dance party in your room. Just keep it alcohol-free to avoid relapse while you’re having fun.
- Learn a new language that interests you, like French, Spanish, or Chinese. This keeps recovery fun as you explore the beauty of a language. Plus, being bi or multilingual helps you find new friends from all over the world!
- Develop new skills, like cooking or painting, to keep yourself busy.
- Take dancing classes to meet new people and unleash your love for moving your body.
- Play sports, like badminton, basketball, volleyball, or swimming. If you’re serious about it, you can join local sports competitions to give yourself a sense of purpose. Many of these activities require you to be sober to implement a strong body. In short, it inspires you not to retake any substance to stay fit for the sport.
- Travel to a new place so you can discover new things about yourself. Traveling also allows you to explore different cultures while meeting inspirational people. This pushes you to a successful addiction recovery.
- Adopt mindfulness through meditation and yoga. These two activities allow you to be mindful of your thoughts and be in the present moment. This helps you calm your mind during stressful situations that might encourage you to take substances.
There are plenty of activities out there that can keep you busy during recovery, driving away any reason for you to be bored, which could trigger your addiction. Just ensure your activity is alcohol and drug-free, as that defeats the purpose.
Declutter Your Space
Did you know that a cluttered space is a source of stress? For instance, you’re looking for an important document but must dive through a pile of papers and other stuff. The clutter can make it hard for you to accomplish what you need to do, which might lead to frustration and mental chaos. It can make you want to appease yourself with substance use, disrupting your sobriety.
But with a clean space, finding what you’re looking for will be easy, reducing the possibility of stress. Decluttering can also include unsubscribing from unnecessary email lists or giving away what you no longer need. Apart from managing anxiety, it keeps your room fresh, giving you a sense of accomplishment.
Consider MET
Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) combines motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The purpose of this therapy is to build the patient’s motivation to change so that they can make their own decision to seek treatment.
The therapist will help you recognize the barriers that prevent you from achieving your recovery goals. You’ll also learn about different coping methods with triggers.
Summing It Up
Lifetime addiction recovery is possible, especially with a sound support system. It includes having a supportive sober family and friends who keep you on track. You may also seek professional support from rehabilitation facilities, such as Flagler Healing, which will supervise your treatment.
Aside from these, looking for activities that keep your mind away from substances is essential. Most importantly, consider avoiding any triggering factor that makes you want to return to your vices. That way, you’re less likely to relapse or slip back into your old habits.