Addiction recovery is not an easy process for many people, and there may be times where those who are taking part in it will feel down on themselves or other negative emotions. At the same time, reminding yourself regularly of the positive progress you’ve made and the ways you’re moving toward your eventual goals is extremely important for everything from your self-esteem to your ability to stay on-track.
At Moonlight Mountain Recovery, positivity and positive focus are key concepts of all of our addiction recovery programs, which include alcohol addiction, drug addiction, prescription drug addiction and more. What are some of the key positive tenets that people moving through the stages of addiction recovery should be reminding themselves of through this process? Here are several great candidates.
Regular Goal Reminders
One of the simplest and most effective ways to keep a positive attitude during addiction recovery is to remind yourself of your goals on a regular basis. Write down these goals, stick them in places you can see regularly and make sure they are achievable and measurable. This will help provide you with the little reminders that keep you pushing forward toward a successful recovery.
For instance, if you’re working to stay sober, your goals might include going two weeks without using any substance, or attending a certain number of meetings over the course of a month. And even if you don’t necessarily meet every single goal you set for yourself, simply setting them and taking steps towards achieving them is a great way to keep a positive attitude.
Reminders of How Far You’ve Come
Especially during periods where you’re feeling down or like you’re a failure, one great way to break out of this pattern is to think back and remind yourself of all the positive things you’ve accomplished since you started on this journey. This can include something like remembering that you went an entire week without using or the fact that you managed to attend meetings even when it felt hard.
No matter how small, those successes are great reminders of your capacity for success and a good way to keep yourself on track. Let’s say you had to take a break from attending meetings due to illness or some other issue. Don’t beat yourself up – instead, think of the fact that you were able to maintain your sobriety even without the regular meetings and use it as motivation for coming back and continuing on your journey.
Finally, don’t be too hard on yourself if you experience occasional setbacks. Addiction recovery is an ongoing process and it isn’t always easy to stay on track – but with regular goal reminders, positive reinforcement and a focus on your progress so far, you have the tools necessary to move forward. Recovery isn’t always easy, but when you take steps like these to remind yourself of how far you’ve already come.
How Far You Can Still Go
Down related lines, getting excited for the future is another great way to keep a positive attitude during addiction recovery. Take some time to think about all the places you want to go and the experiences you want to have once you’re fully recovered, and let that excitement fuel your drive as you continue on this journey.
The New Healthy Habits You’ve Formed
Another great set of reminders to think of in order to maintain a positive attitude during addiction recovery are the new healthy habits you’ve developed along the way. This can include activities like regular exercise, good dietary habits, meditating or taking part in other leisure activities that help promote physical and mental health.
These are all extremely important parts of recovery, and they can be great reminders of the progress you’re making even when setbacks occur. So take some time to think about the healthier activities and habits you’ve started developing and let that serve as motivation for staying on track.
Think About Your Support System
If you’re in a period of loneliness or feeling like your addiction has isolated you, another great way to stay positive is to focus on all the support you have in your life. This can include friends and family who have been there for you throughout this process, as well as counselors or therapists that are helping you work through any underlying issues that may be driving your addiction.
By focusing on how much love and support you already have, you can gain a greater appreciation of where you are and feel encouraged to keep going.
Remind Yourself About Triggers
Triggers are primarily thought of in negative ways when it comes to addiction recovery, and for good reason – they’re the things that can lead to relapse. But you can also use them as positive reminders of your progress.
For instance, if you’ve developed better coping skills or are more aware of certain triggers than you used to be, think back on how far you’ve come and let that serve as motivation in moments when you may be feeling down on yourself. By reminding yourself of how you were exposed to a given trigger but were able to conquer it and stay on track, you can give yourself an extra boost of confidence.
With regular goal reminders, positive reinforcement and a focus on your progress so far, you have the tools necessary to move forward in your addiction recovery journey. So don’t forget to take some time to recognize how far you’ve come – this is essential for staying motivated and continuing down the path of healing and recovery.
For more here, or to learn about any of our caring addiction recovery programs or services, speak to the team at Moonlight Mountain Recovery today.
