A daily routine that supports your sobriety is crucial to maintain long-term recovery. Engaging in activities and behaviors that keep you healthy, focused, and motivated towards recovery will ultimately help you achieve lifelong sobriety. Once leaving treatment, it can be challenging to create and maintain your own daily routine without someone else holding you accountable. You may not know which activities to include in your routine, leaving you feeling confused. To fight these feelings and get back on track, consider the following tips for creating and maintaining a routine that works for you and your recovery journey.
While everyone should have a daily routine that keeps them healthy, those in recovery need one that helps them maintain sobriety. When you don’t have a specific routine full of healthy, sober activities, you risk leading a chaotic life that results in boredom. Boredom is a common relapse trigger because you may want to spend your free time using drugs or alcohol. Therefore, a routine is vital to avoiding feelings of boredom.
On the flip side, some individuals overwhelm themselves with work and personal responsibilities, leading to high stress levels. Stress is another common relapse trigger that causes many individuals to turn to drugs and alcohol for relief. Ensuring you have a balanced, structured routine will help you remove these triggers, be less likely to relapse, and maintain lifelong sobriety.
Knowing the benefits of a healthy routine in recovery and implementing the routine itself are two different things. It can be challenging to know what activities should be included and when especially considering your professional and personal responsibilities. To help you start laying the foundation for a healthy daily routine in recovery, consider the following tips and activities.
When you were in treatment, you most likely had to adhere to specific times regarding when you wake up and go to sleep. The facility wasn’t doing this just to exert control but rather to help you get in the habit of being on a consistent sleep schedule. Not getting enough sleep can leave you feeling tired, stressed, anxious, and depressed. Your body heals while you sleep; therefore, having a consistent sleep schedule is crucial for your recovery.
To implement a consistent sleep schedule in recovery, start by setting your alarm at night and in the morning to ensure you are getting eight hours of sleep. Developing a nighttime routine before bed can train your brain to prepare for sleep as well, such as avoiding screens or taking a shower.
While exercising keeps you healthy and is suitable for your life in general, it also has numerous benefits for your recovery. Exercise can keep your mental and physical health sharp as well as filling up your free time that you could otherwise spend using drugs and alcohol. You don’t have to be a professional athlete or do anything too strenuous. Instead, find exercises you enjoy doing that celebrate movement. Doing 30 minutes of light exercise is enough to start with as you begin adding it to your daily routine.
The treatment facility you were in most likely served healthy meals for your daily meals. Doing so allowed your body to heal more rapidly than if you were not eating enough or constantly eating junk food. Your body needs to fulfill the missing nutrients it lost during active addiction. A healthy diet can also reverse some of the adverse health effects of addiction. Getting rid of junk food within your home and slowly transitioning to more nutritious options can help you lay the foundation for eating a healthier diet.
Many individuals make the mistake of discontinuing recovery care once they leave treatment. However, recovery is a lifelong journey that you must actively take part in. An excellent option for continuing recovery care and support is by attending support group meetings. Going to a local meeting that meets at a set time every week can keep you accountable and on a schedule. You can also ask a friend to join you if you are afraid to go alone.
It is no secret that you will have to work to support yourself both in recovery and in general. You don’t want to take a job that will add unnecessary stress to your life. Instead, you should find employment that understands your recovery and gives you a sense of purpose. Being patient in the job hunting process can help you land a job that you love. You can work with your local treatment facility for support during this process.
For many individuals in recovery, developing and maintaining a healthy routine in recovery is easier said than done. Luckily, NorthStar Transitions is always here to provide you with recovery advice and support. We know the challenges you face once transitioning out of treatment or aftercare programs, which is why we believe it is essential to help individuals develop healthy routines to maintain lifelong sobriety. Success lies in your motivation and willingness to continue recovery, and NorthStar Transitions is here to help you achieve that. We provide support for you at any point in your recovery through our various treatment and aftercare programs. Our alumni program is also available for support and connections within the recovery community. Visit our facility in the beautiful mountains of Boulder, CO, for a tranquil environment to recover in. You can visit our website or contact us today at (303) 558-6400. Recovery begins with NorthStar Transitions.
