The only way you can truly recover from something as powerful as addiction is to keep at it everyday. You never want to forget why you have decided that recovery is the best option for you. It is important to do nice things for yourself and to make everyday productive to be on the best route to recovery.
Try to accomplish simple tasks like making your bed. It can be a very symbolic thing to do as the expression goes “You made your bed. Now you have to sleep in it.” The same goes with addiction as whatever decisions you made when under the influence, you need to deal with the consequences. If you can make your bed, you can do other chores like doing the laundry or cleaning your room. You should also take pictures of what you are thankful for such as a beautiful butterfly on a tree outside or the times you spend with your friends. Put all of those pictures in a photo album so that you can look back and realize that you do not need to abuse substances to enjoy your life.
Mindfulness meditation for ten to fifteen minutes a day will help you take one moment at a time and will make you less stress as you rid worrying and negative thoughts. Those dangerous thoughts have the potential to lead to relapse. You should also be around your loved ones everyday as well as connecting with your sponsor. Reach out to the people in your life about how your day went, how you are feeling, and let them know when you are having a bad day so they can cheer you up. Make a to-do list everyday of what needs to be done so you do not have to worry about forgetting anything or having no time. Boredom can lead you to use so you should fill up your days with productive activities to distract you. Spend twenty minutes everyday doing something relaxing like painting, reading a book, doing a crossword puzzle, or taking a bath. The more you are less stressed, the more your cravings will go down. Make sure to keep up with your 12 step meetings as the meetings will be encouraging and supportive. Most importantly, keep a list of why you are in recovery in the first place in your wallet or your mirror to look at it always.
Located in downtown Midland, The Springboard Center’s mission is to offer programs and services to treat alcohol and drug addiction treatment using an evidence based curriculum, 12 step programs, diet, nutrition, exercise, emotional, mental and spiritual development for a long recovery. For more information, please call us at 432-620-0255 as we are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
