No matter what type of addiction recovery you’re going through, the road ahead can feel overwhelming. It can be an incredibly isolating experience, and you know you’re never truly “cured”, which makes it even more difficult.
But here’s the thing. Millions of people all over the world deal with addiction on a daily basis, and the disease takes the lives of thousands every year. So by simply taking your first steps down the road to recovery, you’re already doing an amazing thing for yourself and your loved ones.
Drug and alcohol addiction recovery is never easy, but if you equip yourself with a few useful strategies, you’re more than capable of coming out on top. Read on to learn some recovery tips that will help you whether you’re on day 1 or day 1000.
1. Celebrate Small Wins
Not just in recovery but in life in general, one of the worst things you can do for your progress is to be overly critical of yourself.
What’s the point of tearing yourself down at every turn? It’s not productive, it won’t lead you anywhere you want to be, it will only make things more difficult.
Instead, change the way you talk to yourself. It won’t happen overnight but is truly worth the effort.
When you catch yourself criticizing your “lack of progress,” shift your focus to how far you’ve come. Have you taken the next step with your AA coins? Have you gone a week without relapse? Celebrate!
Being kind to yourself by celebrating all your wins, no matter how small, will take you much further than you might think.
2. Build a Support Network
Recovering from addiction is no easy task, which is why it’s so inadvisable to attempt to walk the path alone. When you have an addiction recovery group behind you, you’re far more likely to succeed.
Being in alcohol or drug addiction recovery might mean leaving toxic people in your past, and that’s okay. Build yourself a support network from scratch if you have to.
Find people who understand and support you and your journey and help you avoid destructive behaviors rather than encouraging them.
3. Pick Up New Hobbies
When it comes to addiction and recovery, it’s essential to replace your negative habits with positive ones. You can’t expect to succeed by taking something out of your life and leaving a void behind.
What do you enjoy? There’s no wrong answer here, any positive habit works!
You could take up cooking nutritious meals, gardening, rock climbing, playing an instrument, or painting. As long as it’s something that you can look forward to doing every day, you’re on the right track.
Conquer Addiction Recovery With This Guide
When you’re in addiction recovery, it’s so important to never take your efforts for granted. You’re taking the steps to change your mindset, your surroundings, and your behaviors and that’s something to be proud of.
Take your recovery one step at a time. Some days will be more difficult than others, but one day you’ll be able to look back in amazement at your own strength and perseverance.
If you’re interested in learning more about taking control of your life and health, take a look at our blog!
