It is not uncommon for people who struggle with addiction to lose their self-esteem and sense of self to addiction. It is easy to tell other people to love themselves through addiction and recovery but what it means differs for everyone. Try these tips to learn how to start loving yourself better if you are struggling to learn how to love and honor yourself where you are right now.
Honesty
The odds are that you probably feel better about yourself when you are honest. Addiction steals a lot from you, most of all, your ability to be honest about where you are, where you’re going, what you’re doing, and who you’re doing those things with. When you lie down at night, you want to feel like you’ve accomplished something bigger than yourself. Perhaps it is about noticing what you didn’t like about the day, but it also helps to notice how you are moving towards being more honest in recovery that will help you build momentum to make positive change.
Serve Others
It may seem weird, but what helps to find more self love is serving others. Being altruistic towards others helps you find a sense of purpose in your own life. People who are altruistic report a greater sense of meaning and purpose in their lives. When you spend too much time thinking about yourself and your own problems, you take time away from that inner work of focusing on how others need help, also. Getting out of your own space helps you focus on serving others’ needs with the gifts you have. Smile at people more, offer time to serve the homeless, or give back to the recovery community in some way.
Self-Care
When you take care of yourself, you can thrive beyond your wildest dreams. Taking care of yourself in recovery may shift over time as you seek ways to care for your own needs for a time. When you are less focused on those essential needs, you can begin to add in other things like seeking hobbies or crafts you can do that are fun. Self-love can be internal like telling yourself how you are loved, cared for, and not judging yourself so harshly. It can also be externalized behavior like seeking ways of getting help for what you need, setting boundaries, or exercising and eating well.
The Springboard Center’s addiction treatment programs are tailored to meet the needs of each client. By taking care of yourself, you are are setting a good example for how to move forward in recovery for others as well as yourself. It is important to learn how to take care of your needs so you can thrive. If you are struggling in recovery or need help with addiction, call us at: 432-620-0255
