When we’re in recovery, we sometimes have a tendency to stop taking our sobriety as seriously as we once did, and to grow complacent when we see just how far we’ve come in our journey. Even though we’ve overcome huge obstacles and made great strides in our recovery, we want to stay committed to making every day count, as much as we possibly can. This starts with the intentions we set for ourselves – the intention never to take anything for granted, the intention to be mindful in our everyday lives, and the intention to be committed to ourselves and our health as we work to heal.
It can be draining and exhausting to always be on top of ourselves, to stay diligent and to constantly hold ourselves accountable. We hold ourselves to high standards, and we have high expectations for ourselves, and this can feel overwhelming at times. We want to, as much as possible, pause and remind ourselves how much we’ve already accomplished, what measures we’ve already taken, what changes we’ve already successfully implemented in our lives. We want to be proud of ourselves for all of our successes, whether large or small. We want to praise, affirm and validate ourselves. We want to congratulate ourselves. All of these are powerful ways of celebrating ourselves and celebrating our recovery. This mindset of uplifting and empowering ourselves helps us to make sure we’re making every single moment count and that we’re not taking any of our hard work for granted.
Another way we can make every day count is by taking the time to actually enjoy ourselves in our recovery. Yes, sobriety is hard work. Healing from our mental health issues and recovering from all the tough cards life has dealt us can be difficult, taxing and overwhelming. We want to learn how to be able to relax, rest and have fun. We want recreation, adventure, relaxation and enjoyment to be part of our recovery program. We want to reward ourselves for all of our efforts with fun activities that don’t derail our progress. For many years we associated having fun with using our drugs of choice. We didn’t know how to relax or enjoy ourselves without the addictive substances and behaviors we were dependent upon. Now it’s part of our recovery work to figure out what things we enjoy and to make time for them as part of our regular routine. Happiness is one of the most powerful antidotes to addiction, as are fulfillment and purpose. When we’re feeling happy in our everyday lives, we’re much less likely to fall back into patterns of self-destructiveness. When we’re making time to enjoy ourselves, when we feel fulfilled and satisfied, we’re increasing our chances of offsetting the debilitating mental illnesses that contribute to our addictions. Just by having fun, we’re preventing relapse in a powerful way. What do you enjoy doing? What activities did you make time for before addiction took hold of your life? Are there hidden talents for you to discover? Maybe you enjoy playing an instrument or writing music. Maybe you enjoy going to the movies or planning picnics in the park. Maybe you love a day at the beach. Whatever it is you enjoy, make time for it on a regular basis. Make every day count by incorporating happiness into your recovery program.
We can make every day count by becoming more mindful of how we spend our time. We often are misusing our energy and wasting it on people and things that aren’t good for us, that don’t support our recovery goals, and that make us feel drained and depleted. We want to focus instead on the things and people that make us feel alive, excited and joyful, that contribute to the fulfillment of our purpose and that make us feel our time and energy have been well spent. We don’t want to give over any more of our days to the toxicity and negativity we once were consumed by. We want to be able to be as clear-headed, intentional and purposeful as we can, in our everyday lives, to feel like we’re making the most of our time. Sobriety can cause us to take a good, hard look at what it is we’re doing with our time, who we’re spending it on, and what things are wasting our productivity and energy. Once we get sober, we tend to realize that life is short, that we don’t want to misuse our time and energy anymore, that we have so much to live for, and that when we focus on the things that are positive and meaningful for us, we’re so much happier and therefore much better able to stay sober. What constitutes your daily routines? How are you spending your time? What drains your energy and makes you unhappy, and therefore dulls your manifestation power? What things do you make sure to make time for? What things, like self-care and spiritual practice, get neglected? What goals do you feel have receded in importance, that you want to bring back to the top of the list of priorities? What things can you cut out of your life in order to make time for the purpose-driven things you wish you had more time for? What areas of your life could use some reorganizing, modifying, and spring cleaning? What things and people make you feel reenergized and rejuvenated?
At The Guest House Ocala, we are uniquely equipped to help our guests heal from trauma-induced substance abuse, process addiction, anxiety and depression in a safe, comfortable and confidential setting. Call 855-483-7800 today for more information on our treatment programs.