The work of recovering from our addictions is some of the most demanding work we’ll ever do. It tests, challenges, and pushes us, mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. When we manage to get sober, and when we are able to stay sober over time, sometimes we can feel burned out by all the intense recovery work we’ve been doing. We can feel exhausted and depleted of our energy. We can even feel as though we’re losing hope in our ability to keep ourselves sober. One way to offset these particular challenges is to celebrate ourselves and our recovery and to keep celebrating, especially when things feel grim and hopeless for us.
Affirming, Encouraging, and Congratulating Ourselves
When we celebrate ourselves and our sobriety, we affirm to ourselves that we’re proud of ourselves, that we believe in ourselves, and that we have faith in our strength. We’re reminding ourselves of how good it feels to be sober, how much we have to be proud of and to feel fulfilled by. We’re celebrating not only our sobriety but our newfound connection to self, our alignment with our purpose, and our commitment to healing. We’re celebrating the fact that we made the best possible choice for ourselves, and that we’re continuing to make that choice, every single day.
Creatively Adding Celebration to Our Daily Lives
When we were still actively using, our celebrations involved our drug of choice. We came to associate celebration with debauchery, destruction, and irresponsibility. We can redefine celebration for ourselves now that we’re sober. Celebrating our recovery can include spending time with loved ones and doing something new, special, and exciting with them. It can mean revisiting old favorites with them, old games we used to play, meals we enjoyed together, or favorite movies we haven’t seen in a while. We can visit favorite places and do fun activities together. We can also celebrate alone, especially because our sobriety often helps us to reconnect with ourselves, sometimes for the very first time, to enjoy our solitude, and to find joy in our own company. We can do something special for ourselves. We can make the celebration a part of our regular self-care routine, reminding ourselves how special we truly are. We can see every day we’re sober as a celebration of life.
When we regularly celebrate ourselves and our recovery, we give ourselves even more incentive to stay sober. We add to our feelings of joy, contentment, satisfaction, and wellness, which are natural relapse prevention.
At The Guest House Ocala, we have personal recovery experience and over 12 years in the recovery industry. We have helped countless people recover, and we’re here to help you too. Call 855-823-5463 today for more information.