With so many options and lifestyle choices you can make after going through recovery, making the right ones is key to establishing a recovery-supportive lifestyle. You have come through an extensive obstacle course of addiction recovery, and now it is time to find the space where your mind and body can flourish. If you are looking for motivation, here are four ways you can start healthy practices in recovery.
Your life has changed dramatically, and you have conquered the challenge of treatment successfully. Pat yourself on the back because that is not a challenge everyone is up for. Half the people in the recovery world find it difficult to even go through the first month of treatment, let alone get how far you have already come. You are inspired right now, and you should use that to your full advantage.
With your newfound sobriety, life is a bright and beautiful thing. Even though you have come through treatment with flying colors, there will still be challenges and difficulties thrown at you to test you. During times like these, you can remember a few tips to ignite your healthy alternatives and embark on a search to fulfill any leftover space or void.
The first step to starting your restorative options for addiction recovery is recognizing your potential triggers. If you identify these before they occur, you can better prepare yourself for avoiding them or dealing with them when they come. Some of the triggers you may come across include the following:
If you recognize what triggers can lead to temptation or relapse, you can better prepare yourself for handling those triggers.
Life after treatment is all about utilizing the preparation techniques you learned in treatment. Preparation may also look like prevention, such as keeping up with support groups or having an accountability partner. This way, you have structures in place to prevent you from falling back on old habits. The more you prepare yourself, the more you can start a new healthy life after recovery.
All right, now you have prepared yourself for the unforeseen circumstances of life after recovery. You are motivated and insightful and ready for whatever comes your way. Although, many individuals feel that, at this point in the process, life is somewhat lacking or dull. Without substances to fill your time or have fun, what can you do? Luckily, this is common, so you are not alone.
Feelings of boredom are common, but they can be destructive. The key is to fill your time with new, recovery-supportive activities that fill your time and uphold your sobriety. This can include meditation, group outings, creating new relationships, learning a new hobby or craft, improving a skill, visiting new places, taking in nature, volunteering, or spending time exercising every day. The more you fill your time with healthy activities, the more you experience healthy alternatives to life, and it will be far from boring.
During treatment, you may have spent a lot of time indoors in an office or other treatment space. Your lifestyle before treatment may also have kept you out of the sun often. Remember that the sun misses shining on you, specifically. Now that you are out of treatment, you can reconnect with the sunshine. Your life is a bright light ahead of you in recovery, and to keep that light burning, make sure you stay connected with the sunlight.
If you take a walk in nature or experience different fun activities outside, your lifestyle will shine just as bright as the sun. If you want to start a healthy alternative after recovery, do not let the sun miss you anymore.
Good nutrition is an essential part of the recovery process. You may have learned how to establish a healthy diet in treatment, so use those skills and get creative with your plate. A colorful plate—one that includes foods from every food group—is a great way to get healthy and support your recovery.
If you find yourself keeping your hands busy and making sure your plate is full of color and healthy foods, you will feel happy and balanced after leaving treatment. This does not mean you cannot also eat sweets or “junk” foods on occasion. Moderation is key here, so as long as you do not go overboard, you do not have to give up your favorite foods entirely. Just make sure that, in general, your meals are not always made up of only brown food.
Even if you are following your day-to-day routine and keeping up with healthy alternatives in your life after recovery, there may still be times when you find yourself struggling. Do not worry; you are not alone. If you are finding it hard to implement healthy life choices, have a friend help you, or contact your recovery center for more support.
Recovery is hard; you know that more than anyone. Luckily, there are ways to make it easier for yourself, and start implementing healthy alternatives into your life, like preparing for good outcomes, shaking up your usual routines, getting out in nature, and creating a healthy and balanced nutritional regimen. We believe that, though your life after treatment can be filled with color and is a beautiful luminescent journey, there will be times when it will be difficult, so we are here for you when you find yourself slipping. If you feel that you are struggling after recovery, you do not need to struggle alone, as we were here for you in whatever stage of treatment or recovery you are in, even long after you have graduated from our treatment program. If you still need help or are struggling after leaving treatment, call us at (303) 558-6400 for more help on how to include healthy alternatives in your life.
