Some will find it challenging to manage all of the above in the first year, but each person can do so as long as they continue to make sobriety their number one priority. Recovery is a multifaceted process that involves many different aspects. In the first year, individuals must learn how to strike a balance between working their program, tending to their responsibilities, and having fun without drugs and alcohol.
If you attended an addiction treatment center like The Haven at Pismo, then you probably know about the importance of taking care of yourself. You learned about eating healthy and exercising on a regular basis; you perhaps also gleaned that making time to enjoy life is vital. People in recovery are not sticks in the mud, and they insist on living life to the fullest.
Abstaining from drugs and alcohol provides you with ample opportunity to engage in new and exciting activities. Each person must find what they enjoy again; years of addiction can take away one's ability to enjoy all that life has to offer. Now that you are sober, you must find ways to occupy your time when you are not working the steps, attending meetings, or at your place of work.
Maybe you used to surf, ski, or snowboard? Perhaps you were an avid hiker at one time or bicyclist? In sobriety, you have the opportunity to get to the activities you used to love. As long as such experiences do not stand in the way of your program, you will find that prioritizing having fun will strengthen your recovery.
Make Time for Yourself in Recovery
In previous posts, we have shared that isolating is not beneficial for people in early recovery. Staying close to your support network and attending daily meetings is a must. However, it would help if you also remembered to take time for yourself so that you can process where you are and what you would like to achieve.
Take time to connect with your higher power daily via prayer or meditation. Stay present, but do not shut out your peers when they ask to spend time with you outside the rooms of recovery. You can say no from time to time, but in early recovery, it’s essential to foster relationships with the people in your support network. Such men and women who will become your lifelong friends and allies as you trudge the road of happy destiny.
You have the right to work your program as you see fit, but we strongly advise you to watch your peers closely, especially people with more time than you like your sponsor. In the first year, you may be at a loss regarding how to balance recovery and life in healthy ways. Your peers serve as a model for what is suitable for healing and what behaviors will stand in the way of continued progress.
There may be things you want to do that may run counter to the principles of recovery. What’s more, you may not be aware that something you are doing is an obstacle to progress. Recovery-first means talking to your support network openly and honestly about what you are up to when you are not in their company. If you do that, then you will receive necessary feedback that could prevent a relapse down the road.
SLO County Addiction Recovery Center
The Haven at Pismo can help you or a loved one begin a life-changing journey of addiction recovery. Our addiction recovery center and detox is the perfect place to renew to your best today. Please reach out to our team today to learn more about The Haven difference. You can call our confidential hotline at any time of the day. 1-805-202-3440
1-805-202-3440
