Tips for Creating a Balanced Life in Recovery

Part of learning to live a sober life is learning to live a balanced life. And this means finding time for happiness, goals and overall health amid the mundane and stress of everyday life. Here are some tips to get you started: 

• Practice good time management. Learning to manage your time is crucial for a healthy life balance. This means being vigilant about staying organized, prioritizing to-do lists, learning to say “no” and asking for help when you need it. 
• Prioritize your health. Taking the time to strengthen your mind and body will make you more resilient and better able to stay strong and grounded. This means scheduling in sleep, exercise, relaxation and healthful meals.
• Plan ahead. It’s import to keep your goals top of mind without letting them overwhelm you or make you feel like a failure. Start the week by jotting down one goal and one way you can work toward meeting that goal. It can be a small step. 
• Don’t forget the pleasures of life. Spend time with loved ones and friends who lift your spirits or make you laugh. Make time for nature and play and hobbies that excite you. 
• Be a life learner. Now that you’re sober, you have the opportunity to build an exciting and liberating life without the crutches of drugs or alcohol. Each day is a brand-new opportunity to learn something new or experience something amazing for the first time through a sober lens.
• Remember to breath. Learning to incorporate mindful breathing techniques into your life will ensure that you have a healthy go-to for controlling stress and easing tension. 

Begin SMART Recovery® at Complete Harmony

Living a balanced life is part of the SMART Recovery® 4-point recovery program. At Complete Harmony, our team will help you determine whether this type of addiction recovery program is right for you. To learn more, call today: 866-930-4673.

The Stages of Change

Successful addiction recovery requires change – a change in your mindset, behaviors, actions, feelings, goals, relationship with yourself and others – and you’ll experience these changes in different stages. 

Most successful self-changers go through the stages three or four times before they make it through the cycle of change without at least one slip, according to the experts at SMART Recovery®, who describes the stages of change as follows: 

• Precontemplation Stage: People in the pre-contemplation stage of change usually show up in therapy because of pressures from family, friends, employers, or courts.  They tend change the topic of conversation when others address their problem and place blame and responsibility on factors like genetics, family, society, destiny, the police, etc. 
• Contemplation Stage: Contemplators may feel like “I want to stop feeling so stuck!” In other words, they have come to acknowledge that they have a problem but struggle to understand its causes and wonder about possible solutions. People in this stage may be researching addiction and treatment.
• Preparation Stage: Most people in the preparation stage are planning to take action and are likely making final adjustments before they take action to change their behavior. Still, individuals in this stage may need a little convincing. 
• Action Stage: This stage requires the greatest commitment of time and energy. During this stage, people overtly modify their behavior and their surroundings and change becomes more visible to others.
• Maintenance Stage: This stage helps to prevent relapse or return to the precontemplation or contemplation stage. After all, change never ends with action, notes the experts at SMART Recovery®.

Begin SMART Recovery® at Complete Harmony

SMART Recovery® is ideal for men and women seeking an alternative to the 12-step approach to addiction treatment. At Complete Harmony, our team will help you determine whether this type of addiction recovery program is right for you. To learn more, call today: 866-930-4673.

Recognizing Small Victories in Recovery

Did you go out to dinner with friends and order water? Did you take a different route to avoid a bar you used to frequent? Did you take time to journal or meditate today? Did you get out of bed on a bad day? Whether you’ve been in recovery for one day, one week or one year, all of these seemingly small victories add up.  

Addiction recovery takes work, persistence, continual learning and motivation – and celebrating your successes (no matter how small) along the way can empower you to keep the positive momentum going. Of course, your first step is to acknowledge your progress. Keeping a journey is a great way to track your recovery wins. Then, how you celebrate your victories is up to you! Just be sure that you do so in a healthy and sober way. 

Here are a few ideas: 

• Write down small wins on a piece of paper and drop them in a mason jar. This way you can revisit these victories anytime you need motivation or encouragement. 
• Keep a recovery win journal and writing down daily wins that have helped with your recovery.
• Give yourself the gift of time. Allow yourself an hour to focus on something you always put off, without feeling guilty. 
• Pack a picnic and head to the park or go for a long hike.
• Pamper yourself. Take a bubble bath or give yourself a facial.
• Arrange a movie night or afternoon in the park with someone who has supported you and your recovery.
• Try a new hobby, like learning to play an instrument or taking art classes.
• Visit a new place.
• Join a local recovery event.
• Give back to your recovery community by volunteering or simply sharing your story with others.

Begin SMART Recovery at Complete Harmony

An effective alternative to 12-step programs, SMART Recovery® teaches self-empowering addiction recovery. Clients learn to make self-directed change in order to replace destructive decisions with healthy ones. To learn more, call today: 866-930-4673.

A Healthy Dose of #MotivationMonday

Sign in to your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account and type #MotivationMonday and you’ll be overwhelmed by the host of inspirational quotes, photos, and posts designed to help people start their week off on the right foot. 

• “Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.” – Muhammad Ali 
• “It's Monday morning, no matter what happened last week in your life, today is a chance to reset, refocus and restart.” – Unknown 
• “A little progress each day adds up to big results.” – Unknown 

Let’s face it: We all need that extra push or motivation once in a while, and this is especially true during addiction recovery. Motivation plays a big role in influencing patients to seek help, comply with treatment, and make long-term changes to sustain sobriety. Motivation drives you to change your destructive behaviors and meet your goals.

Here are a few tips to help you stay motivated during your recovery:

• Continue to ask why. Why is recovery important? It’s important to remind yourself why you decided to get sober in the first place. What was your self-motivation? There’s no right or wrong answer, whether the “why” is for the sake of your family relationships or for your own personal health and wellness – or both.
• Create a top 10 list. Come up with 10 benefits of getting and stay sober and refer to it daily. You can also add to it as you go. This visual reminder will keep you going and serve as a reminder of the many great things in your life now that you’re in recovery. 
• Reframe your goals. Sticking to your recovery is much easier when you give it a positive spin. Don’t think of it as giving up drugs or alcohol but gaining a new life free of the burdens of drugs and alcohol.
• Take baby steps. Marvel over each step, no matter how small. And remind yourself that it’s okay to fall as long as you don’t let disappointment derail your drive. Keep moving. Keep growing in your recovery.

Staying Motivated with SMART Recovery
The SMART Recovery program at Complete Harmony teaches you how to change self-defeating thinking, emotions, and actions; and to work toward long-term satisfactions and quality of life. To learn more, call: 866-930-4673.