Working to have healthy self-esteem during recovery is essential. If you are someone who struggles with your self-esteem, know that you are not alone. Low self-esteem is a common problem that many people need to work on and better understand.
Often when someone struggles with self-esteem issues, a lot is going on beneath that struggle that needs to be discovered and better understood. As you journey through recovery, building up your self-esteem is a great goal to have. Here are a few different ways to help you work towards higher self-esteem.
Keep a Journal
Keeping a journal can help you to work on your self-esteem. Journaling and writing can give you an outlet to express all of your emotions that you may struggle to talk about.
Recovery can be an amazing time; however, you are still working to better yourself and your mental health. Just because treatment is over does not mean the work is over. Continue to work on your mental health issues. Use journaling as a means to write down what you are feeling. Try to notice patterns in your behaviors.
Self-esteem is something that takes effort and time to build. When you understand where that struggle is coming from, you can create a plan to successfully improve your self-esteem.
Use Affirmations
Practicing positive affirmations can be an amazing activity to help build your self-esteem. Everyone needs to be reminded of their worth, intelligence, and capabilities at times. Affirmations can help you focus on your positive qualities and how far you have come in your journey.
Recovery is filled with many positives, but it is also filled with challenges that you will need to overcome. Never let yourself forget all that you have already accomplished and all that you are capable of accomplishing.
Forgive Yourself
Practicing self-forgiveness is an essential part of the recovery process. If you have made choices or engaged in activities that you are not proud of or regret, know that you are not alone. Working to forgive yourself for your past is important.
Understanding that you are not in the same place as you were when you made those decisions can help you realize your growth. When you can see your growth, your self-esteem will grow as well.
Be proud of your progress and your journey. You have faced intense challenges and worked on better understanding your mental health. There should be no shame about your past. Learning to forgive yourself is a major key to growth and striving forward.
Set Goals
Work on setting and keeping your goals. If you set large goals, then make smaller goals underneath that will help you reach your large goal. Recovery is a time of growth. Setting goals is a significant part of that recovery process.
When you begin to hit your goals and milestones, you will probably start to see your self-esteem grow. It is normal to doubt your abilities and question your strength, especially in early recovery. As you begin to see yourself succeed, however, you will realize your capabilities and your power.
Avoid Comparisons
Your recovery may look different than that of others in recovery, especially the recovery journeys you might follow on social media. At times, feeling as if your recovery looks different can be hard on your self-esteem. You may wonder why it seems like you are struggling more than others or how others have succeeded so quickly. Comparison to others can work against your efforts to build up your self-esteem.
Your recovery is unique to you. You have faced challenges and situations that are personal. How you react and work through a problem is different from anyone else. For that reason, you simply cannot compare your journey to anyone else.
Social media can be a great thing. It can connect you with others that you may never meet otherwise. However, social media can also have its downfalls. Always remember that you see only what the other person wants you to see. They have probably struggled just like you have.
Accept Compliments
Accepting compliments can be difficult for some people. Finding out why you are struggling to accept compliments will help you better understand your self-esteem issues. Do you feel unworthy of the compliment? Are you embarrassed at doing well?
Learning to accept compliments will help you accept how well you are doing and how far you have come. Finding your confidence in your recovery will help you to be able to see your self-esteem grow. Try to focus on your journey and all of the positivity that has entered your life now that you are living a sober and healthier lifestyle.
Finding your self-esteem in recovery is an essential task to set and a goal to achieve. Early recovery is often challenging, and you may doubt your ability to make the right choices. As you grow into your recovery, you will begin to notice how capable and strong you really are. You may benefit from positive affirmations and journaling your thoughts and feelings. Set your goals and work not to compare your recovery to other recovery journeys. As you see your growth, you will be better able to accept and believe all the compliments you receive. Here at The Guest House, we understand that the work doesn’t end when treatment does. You don’t need to face recovery challenges alone. We are here to support you and help you use all the skills and tools you have learned in treatment. Call us today to learn more about how we can support you on your long-term recovery journey at (855) 483-7800.