A significant part of a long-term recovery plan is to learn about who you are — old traits and new ones. There is a good chance that your addiction took over your life. Every single part of your identity became interconnected with your addiction. Over time you probably forgot a lot about yourself. Now is a great time to find what you are passionate about. When you have something in your life that you are passionate about, it can help you face challenges head-on. Passions can create satisfaction and increased self-esteem and self-worth as you are working on a cause that speaks to you.
After treatment, you will face many challenges. The work of recovery does not end when treatment does. You will need to continue working on your mental health, perfecting your goals, and finding your passion. As you begin your journey of post-treatment recovery, here are a few tips to help you start finding your passion.
What Motivates You?
Recovery is a lifelong process and one filled with positives, negatives, challenges, and joy. What motivates you to be a better person? What motivates you to keep on track with your sobriety? Finding your passion will be a unique process because everyone is different. What inspires you will be different than what motivates someone else.
Your sobriety is a crucial component of your life, and your motivations probably center around it. What is going to keep you moving in the right direction? What is going to motivate you to hit more sobriety milestones?
What Is Something Unusual That You Enjoy?
Being unique is amazing. What makes you unique? Do you like anything that is often not on other people’s radar? Find joy in your uniqueness. Sometimes our passions are quite different than those around us. That is perfectly okay. If we were all the same, life would be very dull. So do those things you love doing. Your sobriety is not the only thing that makes you, you. Enjoy what makes you happy as long as it does not jeopardize your sobriety or mental health.
Where Would You Donate One Million Dollars if You Could?
Often we find our true passions when we take away the obstacles surrounding them. What would you do if you had unlimited time? Unlimited money? You may be surprised what goals you can accomplish if you simply try. Many barriers in front of our passions are put there by us. We instinctively try to protect ourselves from getting let down, so we do not even let ourselves try. Break out of this mindset. Step out of your comfort zone and break those barriers down.
Maintaining your sobriety is not something that should hinder your progress or goals in other areas of your life. You are a complete person, and your sobriety is simply one part of that.
What Were You Attracted to as a Child?
What did you enjoy doing as a child? What did you play with? Where did you want to go? Often our childhood attractions can lead us in the direction of our true passions.
Did you always play vet as a child? Or did you love going to the museum and learning about history? Maybe your passion lies in the environment and helping to sustain the natural areas around your house. It can take time to figure out your passion, but it is a fun process filled with trying new things and going to new places.
What Do You Enjoy Reading or Watching?
Take a look at what sort of books you read. Are they filled with adventure in faraway lands? Or are they histories about past wars? You can learn about your interests simply by looking closer at the reading choices you make. If you pick the fictional high-energy adventure book, you may look for more adventure in your life. Try hiking in new places or traveling to remote locations. Adventure is out there; you simply need the courage to find it.
If you are not a huge reader, look at what you watch on TV or the movies you gravitate towards. Do you always pick a sitcom filled with adults who are close friends and do things together? Is this something that is missing from your life? If so, try joining clubs or finding activities to meet new people. Just because you are an adult does not mean you cannot or should not make new friends. Step outside of your comfort zone. Your sobriety should not stop you.
Finding your passion after treatment is an integral part of a long-term recovery plan. We need passions to keep us moving in the right direction. Our passions can help us make the right choices, form healthy connections, and step outside our comfort zones. Maintaining sobriety is an essential part of your identity; however, it is not the only part. Learning to find your passions can help your mental health and overall well-being. We all need to find joy and simply have fun sometimes. Here at The Guest House, we know that recovery is full of positives and negatives. Learning to navigate those times can be challenging. Support is often needed. We are here to support you on your journey every step of the way. Call us today to learn more about how we can support you on your recovery journey and the different treatment options we offer at (855) 483-7800.