Your recovery journey is unique to you as you go through every hill and valley it has to offer. There will be times you feel on top of the world and as if you are healing exponentially. However, there will also be days that you feel so low that you feel stuck in the same place and as if you can’t move forward. Everyone going through addiction recovery experiences this feeling at some point, and it just takes some reminding to pick yourself back up. A great way to motivate yourself is to track your progress. This way, you can see how far you have come and make changes when necessary. Tracking your progress in recovery can help you stay on track and improve on your being even after years spent in recovery and healing.
One way to track your recovery progress is to download an application (app) to your phone designed for individuals in recovery. You can find numerous ones on the app store, but make sure it has the features that are right for you and your personal journey. Read what’s included in the app and reviews to see what others think of it and ensure it is helpful to recovery. Once you have found one that works for you, download it and make it a daily goal to engage with it. Most recovery apps have sober counters to track how long you have been clean, journals to record any thoughts or activities, daily affirmations, refocusing strategies, and sometimes even social networks within the app to connect with others in recovery. This is a great way to hold yourself accountable for your recovery and keep yourself on track.
Not everyone has access to smartphone apps, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on keeping track of your recovery progress. A pen and paper can do just as much good in your recovery; it can serve as a record of how far you have come. You can journal any time of the day, writing down what you are thinking, feeling, what you did or plan to do that day, any ideas you have for recovery, and more. Your journal is there to give you a safe place to vent and monitor your overall progress in recovery. A journal also allows you to notice any patterns over time and make changes to your behavior to better your recovery. When you feel stuck, you can even look back at journal entries to see where you once were and how much you have progressed since.
Sleep is essential to recovery because it helps give your body the necessary energy needed to partake in recovery activities throughout the day. It also helps your body heal physically from the damage done to it by addiction. You may have experienced insomnia in early recovery due to withdrawal. However, later on, you should be making sure you get the proper amount of sleep to help maintain your recovery for the long term. There are several ways you can do this.
Recovery can feel overwhelming at times, especially if you find yourself in a rut. When you feel like you aren’t making any progress in your healing journey, there are ways to help you keep track of it to pick yourself back up. This way, you can see the progress you are making over time, even when you feel stuck, to remind yourself that you are continually moving forward. There are various ways to monitor your progress in recovery. You just have to find what works for you. Consider downloading recovery apps, keeping a journal, or getting enough sleep by monitoring your sleep quality. You can also partake in other methods, such as having an exercise schedule or meal plan. At Northstar Transitions, you will find recovery help even if you are in the later stages of your journey. We are here to keep you on track when you doubt yourself. Call us today to learn more about progress in recovery at (303) 558-6400.
