Acts of service can be a very powerful tool through recovery. Simple actions done for others can carry a lot of impact, both for an individual in recovery who is performing the act, as well as for those on the receiving end. Making a habit of doing a single act of service on a daily basis can be a motivating force that demonstrates the agency that a person has over their own recovery, as well as a genuine desire to restore relationships going forward.
Even Small Acts Can Mean Something Big
These acts of service don’t need to be anything grand in order to carry value. Holding doors open for others, cooking dinner for loved ones, taking care of another’s chores around the house for the day, or even helping another put groceries away can all indicate that a person is growing in their own recovery. The impacts of these actions aren’t necessarily about helping move the chores along a little faster. Rather, they are performed in order to demonstrate one’s own agency and progress.
Making a decision to take care of the laundry for one’s family, for example, is already demonstrating a number of key elements in recovery. Not only does this mean that the person was able to think about the needs of another, but they also took their personal decision-making into their own hands by deciding to perform this act, as well as accept the responsibility and accountability associated with it. All of these aspects are major life skills that are instilled through the recovery process, and can all be exhibited even in small actions.
What It Means for You
Performing these acts of service can be very motivational for those in recovery from their own trauma or addiction. Even during the most stressful parts of recovery, these single acts of service can demonstrate that each person still has a degree of control over their environments and their lives, as well as the continued development of their relationships. Amidst stress, anxiety, and depression, proving to yourself that you can still make your own decisions and manipulate your own environments can be very empowering. Additionally, it stands as a testament to your desire to continue your own recovery path, regardless of the hurdles in the way. Even one single act of service can demonstrate a lot of progress and should be celebrated.
A single act of service can be indicative of something great and can prompt a personal discovery of your own agency in your recovery path. At The Guest House, we can work with you to personalize a program that helps you empower yourself to demonstrate your own agency while instilling the necessary coping skills and daily practices to help you deal with your daily stressors. With individual and group therapy as well as a varied set of programs from adventure therapy, equine therapy, and cinema therapy to clinical practices like EMDR, we can find a way to best help you explore your own agency in recovery. To learn more, call us today at (855) 483-7800.