5 Rules for Staying Positive and Supporting Yourself Through Recovery
By Susan Treadway
Admitting you have an addiction is never easy. Getting into recovery and getting the help you need is even harder. So if you’ve already taken this monumental first step, you should be proud. But if you want to stay sober and get healthy in recovery, you need to stay positive along the way. That starts with how you treat yourself. Here are some crucial first steps you need to take to truly take care of yourself.
Begin Each Morning The Right Way
You can set the tone for the rest of your day in the morning. So why not make it a positive one? Try to get into a routine that allows you plenty of time to get awake and get ready. Feeling rushed will only make you feel more anxious. You can also make it a point to complete a little deep breathing before you get out of bed and set a positive intention for your day. Keep intentions simple such as committing to being more patient with others or being kind to yourself. Intention setting can impact the way you see yourself, people around you and the rest of the world.
Make Time to Clear Your Mind
Want to know a practice hundreds of successful people have in common? They meditate daily. Meditation is a powerful way to rid your mind of worry and negative thoughts. In fact, meditation and mindfulness have been proven to bring peace and positivity to the lives of those who practice regularly. One of the best ways to motivate yourself to stick to a practice is to set up a meditation space in your home. Start by selecting an area away from others, with a view of nature or some plants. You should also look carefully at the lighting to ensure supreme focus and calm in your practice.
Fit a Daily Workout into Your Routine
If you feel better, you are more likely to treat yourself better. Exercise plays a crucial role in your mood, and getting a daily workout in can help fuel endorphins in your brain. These feel-good chemicals are responsible for keeping you relaxed and happy, which is super important during recovery. Regular workouts will also give you more energy, and can improve your sleep. If you are new to fitness, start with some small goals. Maybe you can take a daily, brisk walk every morning or lift some weights a few times a week. If you need help creating or sticking to goals, think about working with a trainer.
Commit to a Clean, Healthy Diet
When you take steps to take care of your body and mind, you feel more control over your life. One of the most important steps you can take for your physical and mental health is to change your diet for the better. Let food fuel your positive mission in recovery, and try to stick with whole, healthy nutrition. Plenty of organic vegetables, complex carbs and lean proteins should center your eating habits everyday. Make sure you incorporate healthy fats to keep your mood and brain balanced, and don’t be too hard on yourself. And If you have a cookie or two, don’t let it derail your entire day or diet.
Learn to Leave The Past Behind You
We’ve all made mistakes in our lives. But when those mistakes impact the way you see and treat yourself, they can seem more present than past. Moving on and making it through recovery means learning to forgive yourself for whatever may have happened before and learning from mistakes in the future. You may stray from your current path or experience a relapse. Many in recovery do as well, so don’t beat yourself up for it. Leaving your past where it belongs is one of the healthiest steps you can take in recovery, and in life.
Self-talk and self-esteem can have a big impact on the way we carry ourselves. Try to keep your comments about yourself and even others positive as you work through your recovery. Take steps to take better care of your health and take back control of your life, your health and your happiness.
