It’s not easy to overcome addiction by yourself. Throughout the various stages of recovery, support is there to help you overcome addiction. However, after treatment ended, you became more self-sufficient. You implemented skills and techniques to overcome any temptations. Now, addressing your needs and taking care of yourself is even more important than fully relying on those around you. While others around you still provide support, you are now out of the treatment center, and your self-care is at recovery’s vital core.
Much of the recovery process teaches you to be comfortable with a sober lifestyle. It taught you how to adapt your skills and find ways to avoid temptations and overcome addiction. You initially started a lifelong process to establish your brand of self-care. Self-care is extremely important after treatment because it is the least selfish thing in your life. You’re working to reduce extra stress and manage your life while maintaining a healthy sense of self-purpose. When you have a positive mindset regarding your self-image, the recovery process succeeds.
However, when you’re over-stressed or put into situations where you feel that you can’t function properly, your motivation and positivity regress. You might notice you are fatigued or have mild depression set in after treatment. Throughout the recovery process, this is not a new concept. You are continuing to fight to maintain your sobriety. You can preserve your heightened sense of self-worth and retain your self-respect, but at times it may be difficult to maintain.
Your self-care is specific to you, helping to keep you mentally and physically prepared to function in life and achieve your goals. Self-care preserves your ability to manage situations and challenges to withstand the risks of potential relapse.
While you were in recovery, the first few months were difficult, as your body and brain were healing. That time of your life was chaotic, and you experienced an emotional roller coaster filled with confrontation and overwhelming stress. You were able to get professional care, developing your skills and mindset to achieve recovery. Now is the time to remember those specific skills as you transition through a sober life.
Self-care is the first step to initiating a positive mindset and the motivation to encourage yourself to keep chasing your life goals. Long-term recovery may seem difficult at times, and you may struggle to maintain self-care and establish a strong self-sense of mental stability. The recovery process will test you to the limits of your self-worth and take you to the extremes of stress. However, how you go about maintaining your self-care is all up to you.
Some individuals take self-care to new heights, using every resource available to manage their day-to-day duties. Others may constantly learn new things and try to keep their mind occupied until it becomes second nature. Both of these are forms of self-healing and self-care. When you invest in yourself first, take care of your mindset, and find ways to manage your stress, your inner motivation and self-respect increase.
After treatment ends, the next part of the recovery process is to redefine who you are as a sober individual and understand your balance. Sober life throws curveballs that test your limits of balance and may require you to reach out and ask for additional help at times. At the end of the day, you need to remind yourself that a sober life is a recovery journey that you can do successfully.
Not everyone understands what it means to be fully free from the difficult circumstances you’ve experienced or how you were able to maintain positivity through those difficult times. However, you did it and have come so far with your recovery process! That was a huge step in your self-care.
You achieved what many others have a difficult time accomplishing, and that’s worth celebrating. Your long-term sobriety requires you to care for yourself to extend and develop your commitment. You may have a rough start after treatment or experience different situations that test your limits. However, you’re still on your path of figuring out the right way to respect yourself. Stay patient and positive.
If you need to find different ways to help you self-care to extend your recovery commitment, remember to stay connected with other people in recovery. You don’t have to be alone through the recovery process, and you can get many different tips and tricks from other connections on how to cope with difficult situations. Some ideas that help others improve their self-care are listed below.
The compassion you give to yourself leads to improved self-care. It extends your commitment to recovery and encourages long-term successful results. No matter what situation you’re in, your self-care is an extension of you and your physical and mental well-being. You can always incorporate meditation, boundaries, exercise, personal therapy, getting rest, and pushing your self-care commitment to new levels. Your self-care is a stress-reducing skill set that will become second nature. At NorthStar Transitions, we can help teach you how to cope with certain circumstances and challenges, giving you the support you need when you need a little extra help. You are always welcome to reach out to us even when it seems difficult or scary, but we’re here for you to support you. We are here through the entire recovery process and beyond, and if you need more help or assistance, reach out to us at NorthStar Transitions at (303) 558-6400.
