If there’s one thing about recovery, it’s that it’s filled with change. Good change. Bad change. Neutral change. This change can be incredibly scary in the beginning, especially when you have to face the world without your drug of choice. But, as you move forward in your recovery, you will learn that you can live a happy, fulfilled life without being tied to drugs and alcohol.
Accepting change is one of the best things you can do to support a healthy and complete recovery. Below are some of our favorite tips for helping clients embrace change in their lives.
Recognize that you are in control of your response.
You can’t control everything that happens in the world. Many things occur outside of your control and you just have to roll with it. As you transition into work, school and other responsibilities, you must realize that events are going to happen whether you like them or not. What you can control, however, is your response to these events.
Yes, YOU get to choose how you respond to things. If someone hurts your feelings, you can choose to stay mad or let it go. After all, should one comment ruin your entire day? Definitely not. As you strive for positive responses, you will be more likely to react this way in the future.
Create positive outcomes.
No matter what is happening around you, positive outcomes can emerge. Your mind is incredibly powerful, and the more you believe in something, the more likely it is to happen. Plus, positive thinking changes the way your brain reacts to things. Over time, you can train your brain to be more confident and open to change.
Acknowledge your fears but take action.
When working on your response to change, avoid burying your true emotions. Change can be stressful, and it’s important to work through your natural emotions. Are you scared? Resentful? Anxious? Once you recognize your fears and process them in a healthy manner, you are free to move on. These fears shouldn’t stop you from trying something new or different.
Change is a constant in our lives. It can be especially difficult in early recovery when there is a lot of change and you don’t have all the tools and life skills to deal with it. However, as you progress through your recovery, you can apply these tips to your life to embrace change.
