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RESOURCE CENTER Ready to Fall in Love with Recovery? 7 Ways to Make It Happen

Ready to Fall in Love with Recovery? 7 Ways to Make It Happen

contributor avatar Written by: Editorial Staff
Last updated on July 24, 2017

Recovery will always have ups and downs, but if you feel like you have been stuck in rut for too long and it is starting to threaten your ability to stay sober, you can make changes that allow you to fall back in love with recovery. The more connected you feel with the direction you are taking in life and the people who are traveling your path with you, the better able you will be to experience the joy that makes recovery worthwhile.

Here are a few ways to make it happen.

  1. Make a solid commitment.

Recovery is not something you can do halfway, and most of the benefits come when you fully commit to incorporating the principles, therapies, and treatments into everyday life. There are a number of ways to commit yourself to recovery, but it usually includes making a big loud commitment when you need to reconnect and then a renewed commitment each day by showing up.

Ready to Fall in Love with Recovery? 7 Ways to Make It Happen

Tips:

  • Tell your friends, family, sponsor, and therapist you need to recommit to recovery principles.
  • Write out your commitment to recovery and list the ways you would like to see your current life change as a result.
  • Put your written commitment where you can see it every day.
  • Consider sharing publicly (like at a 12-Step meeting or other support group) that you are trying to rejuvenate and recommit to recovery.
  1. Incorporate gratitude into your day.

Whether you choose to meditate on your gratitude for a long period every day or stop briefly once or twice a day to consider what you are grateful for in that particular moment, choosing to live in the blessings of life stops you from spending too much time thinking about challenges you are facing.

Tips:

  • Write out a quick gratitude list when you get up in the morning.
  • Keep a list of gratitudes on your phone to reference whenever you need it.
  • Nothing is too small to be grateful for.
  • Remember that the things you have now are due to your continued sobriety.
  1. Pause.

Stop. Breathe. Step back. When life becomes tedious or overwhelming, just pause and consider how far you have come.

Tips:

  • Practice three-part breathing to actively slow your heart rate and increase your sense of calm.
  • Do a body scan and notice if you are holding tension, feeling pain, hungry, and/or tired.
  • If you are with someone you love, hug them tightly.
  • Softly focus your eyes on the middle distance or a focal point, clear your mind, and just notice your breath.
  1. Create recovery-centered goals for yourself.

When you have a focus and a project to keep yourself actively engaged, you are more likely to feel excited and energetic about your recovery.

Tips:

  • Consider things that you feel are not ideal in your current situation and what you can do to change them.
  • Imagine your most amazing version of your life and choose a goal that helps you get a step closer to that.
  • Discuss your recovery-centered goal options with your therapist.
  • Work with a life coach if you do not have any ideas.
  1. Do it – and keep doing it.

Persistence is the key to recovery. Just show up and keep showing up to maintain your commitment.

Tips:

  • Make a schedule or keep a list of the things you would like to do every day and check them off as you complete them.
  • Have a friend encourage you and keep you accountable.
  • Reward yourself for reaching goals.
  • Celebrate your sobriety date.
  1. Join together with others who are also falling in love with recovery.

When you have others who are “on your team” and also working toward their own goals in recovery, it can be motivating and help you to stay on track.

Tips:

  • Reach out to people in recovery via text to check in every few days.
  • Meet people for coffee or at a meeting to connect.
  • Find out what is working for other people – and what isn’t – in terms of staying focused on recovery.
  • Seek out people who you find to be helpful and motivating.
  1. Share your goals and successes with other people.

When you reach a goal, shout it from the rooftops. Letting other people congratulate you and share in your joy can help you to stay in that “in love” space in recovery for longer.

Tips:

  • Stand up and share sobriety goals in 12-Step meetings.
  • Let your therapist and sponsor know when you hit milestones or something amazing happens in recovery.
  • Share positive things on social media.
  • Throw a personal party for yourself by adding a little extra self-care to your day.

Are you ready to fall in love with your recovery again?

About The Contributor
Editorial Staff
Editorial Staff
Editorial Staff, American Addiction Centers
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