Making the decision to leave an addiction behind is a brave step. However, sometimes it can be difficult to adjust to a healthier lifestyle. This is especially if you have been dependent on addiction for a long time. Nevertheless, it is possible to find balance and build healthy habits that will support your sobriety. In this blog post, we will explore the different ways to start living a healthier lifestyle. Lastly, we will look at creating a foundation for lasting recovery from addiction.
Pick One Change at a Time
When you’re ready to start a new life, it can be overwhelming to make many changes simultaneously. You may want to make an overnight transformation, but the truth is that addiction recovery is usually a slow process. It’s important to take the time to set yourself up for success.
Start by thinking about who you spend time with. Who are the people you spend your days and nights with? If those people are still engaged in the same behaviors that were part of your addiction, it may be best to keep your distance. Surrounding yourself with people who support and encourage you in healthy ways is key to maintaining your sobriety.
According to NIH News in Health, another important strategy is to think about your daily routine. What kind of activities do you do every day? Make a list of activities you already have incorporated and ones you would like to adopt. This could be anything from starting a new exercise program or joining a book club to dedicating time to learning a new skill. It doesn’t have to be a drastic change. Even something small like going for a walk or meditating for ten minutes each day can be beneficial.
Incorporate Healthy Habits Into Your Routine
As you start your journey in recovery, it’s essential to begin building healthy habits into your routine. You have a limited amount of time and energy, so it’s important to budget both. Make sure you are taking care of your needs first. Avoid any drama created by others. It may be beneficial in some cases to participate in family therapy to work through any issues.
It’s important to remember that recovery takes time. Don’t feel rushed or overwhelmed with pressure. Incorporate some stress-reducing activities like meditation, exercise, yoga, and journaling into your day. This will help you focus on yourself and your well-being. Additionally, learning to say “no” to excessive requests or invitations can help free up some time for healthier activities.
Finally, don’t forget to reward yourself for making these healthy changes in your life. Set small achievable goals and give yourself a pat on the back when you reach them. This will help to keep you motivated and remind you of the progress you’ve made.
Set Realistic Goals
When you’re leaving a life of addiction behind, it can be difficult to establish healthy habits and make lasting lifestyle changes. It’s important to set realistic goals in order to ensure that your commitment to sobriety will stay strong. To begin, brainstorm some achievable goals that you would like to achieve in your new lifestyle. Then, get specific about these goals. For example, instead of saying “I want to exercise more,” say “I want to go to the gym three days a week.” Once you have a clear idea of your goals, make them SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-based).
Organize your goals to make them easier to achieve. Write them down in order of priority and break them up into smaller goals that you can focus on one at a time. Doing research and consulting with professionals can help you ensure that your goals are realistic and achievable. Make sure you are both able and willing to make any necessary lifestyle changes required to reach them. Finally, simplify and focus on your most important goal first. With realistic goals, hard work, and dedication, you can stay committed to your sobriety.
Reward Yourself
Committing to living a healthier lifestyle after overcoming an addiction can be a challenging endeavor. As you make progress and meet your goals, it is important to reward yourself along the way. While some rewards may involve spending money, many of them don’t have to cost anything.
Consider reading a book you enjoy for 15-30 minutes, making a gourmet dessert, watching one or two episodes of a show guilt-free, enjoying an at-home spa day, turning off any and all screens for an hour (and enjoying the peace), or hosting a game night with friends.
The whole process of changing our habits slowly and celebrating along the way feeds into the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) definition of holistic wellness. Holistic wellness is the focus on small habits that feed into your addiction recovery. Every attempt at holistic wellness is investing in your future health.
Find Support
No matter what stage of recovery you are in, it’s important to surround yourself with supportive people who understand the struggles and complexities of addiction. This support system can be family members, friends, your therapist, or a community of individuals who are all committed to sobriety.
First Steps Recovery is here to support you in your journey to find a healthier lifestyle. We provide individual counseling sessions as well as group therapy sessions, both of which can be helpful in understanding how to create lifelong healthy habits. In addition, we also provide community-based resources such as 12-Step programs and support groups that can help you build positive relationships and social networks. By joining these types of programs, you can find the encouragement and accountability necessary to sustain your sobriety.
There are various facets to addiction in our lives. Even as we work toward recovery, we could still struggle with the choices we made in the past. But this need not be the only option. First Steps Recovery is committed to helping you on your path to drug and alcohol recovery. Our outpatient program is concentrated on assisting people in adjusting to a new environment and way of life while they are still healing from past trauma. We want you to regain your joy as well as your sobriety. Call First Steps Recovery at (844) 489-0836 for more details about our programs and facilities if you need help recovering from an addiction.
There are various facets to addiction in our lives. Even as we work toward recovery, we could still struggle with the choices we made in the past. But this need not be the only option. First Steps Recovery is committed to helping you on your path to drug and alcohol recovery. Our outpatient program is concentrated on assisting people in adjusting to a new environment and way of life while they are still healing from past trauma. We want you to regain your joy as well as your sobriety. Call First Steps Recovery at (844) 489-0836 for more details about our programs and facilities if you need help recovering from an addiction.
