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Recovery is filled with change. From the moment someone takes their first step into recovery on to the days and years after completing their program, change can be a constant. While creating a healthier lifestyle is the goal, it is also incredibly stressful to feel like everything is always in motion. As someone moves on to live independently in the “real world,” there can be an excessive number of challenges that each person faces. Learning how to find consistency and control in one’s life daily amidst this transformation can help reduce stress and promote a healthy, manageable plan for continued sobriety.
Using What You Know
The transition from a transformational living space into the “real world” can be difficult, and stresses can be abundant. However, just because someone is moving out of a living center doesn’t mean that they can’t continue implementing the strategies they learned there. Those in recovery have their days structured with various practical therapies and life skills. Group therapy, mediation, physical activities, art therapy, and maintaining the living space’s responsibilities, such as cleaning, are all part of the daily routine. Consistent alarms for waking in the morning or dedicated mealtimes and bedtimes are all routines that can be utilized across many different living spaces.
Keeping these aspects consistent can help for a smoother transition as someone doesn’t have to create an entirely new schedule. Keeping as many of these aspects as consistent as possible allows someone to continue to stabilize their routine while other aspects of their life may be changing. Addressing one change at a time can make each different element more manageable. Personal responsibilities, professional obligations, and health are all essential and need their own levels of focus. Taking one task at a time, rather than trying to multitask amongst all of the changes in one’s life, can lead to a more successful transition overall.
People Go a Long Way
Times of change require a safety net to ward off anxiety from becoming mixed in with the situation’s already hectic nature. However, technology has provided a way for people to stay more connected than ever before. People that have provided personal support or have developed personal connections can still be a consistent part of someone’s support system. Exchanging information in the form of phone numbers, Facebook information, or profiles on various sober or recovery-based social media apps can help someone keep connected with those most helpful. Keeping in touch ensures that someone isn’t left without others to turn to during changing times. Having a consistent friend or group available that someone can fall back on during stressful times can motivate someone to keep looking towards the next goal, all one step at a time.
Family members are also integral parts of dealing with change. Even in the most chaotic times, families can provide a stable presence with a set and known culture and unconditional acceptance. A family’s ability to provide a needed break and a familiar atmosphere are crucial for managing stress through changing times.
Joining an Alumni Program
Alumni programs are intended to be a stable point in one’s continued recovery while allowing someone to give back to their recovery communities. These programs can help to further one’s sense of stability by providing them with a dedicated recovery outlet as they cope with the changes in their lives. They are programs where support and understanding are always close by and where someone can continue developing their coping skills and helping others reach their recovery goals. Taking on one’s own changes while still feeling connected to the recovery community can further empower and reinforce each person’s skills on their journey.
Change is a constant in recovery. However, not all change has to be tackled at the same time. Finding consistency is a way for each person to find the aspects they can control in their lives, even amidst external changes and stressors. Taking on one change at a time while continuously finding ways to reinforce one’s strategies they have already set up for themselves can help each person tackle the anxieties that come with change each day. Prioritizing and organizing what changes need to be made can help someone continue to control their transformation.
Change and stress are both constant through recovery. However, several strategies can help guide you through the transition of going into the real world. Using what you know, such as daily cleaning or sleeping routines learned in living centers, can help you focus on small changes. Having a support system of others in recovery or family and joining an alumni program are also excellent resources in helping you feel comfortable through change. If you or a loved one are struggling with your transition back into the real world, or are searching for additional strategies to help you continue developing your recovery plan, START UP RECOVERY can help you today. By talking about your strengths and goals in recovery, we can help create a personalized plan catered to your needs while also providing a supportive group and comprehensive structure to continue developing your recovery toolkit. The luxurious atmosphere is catered to promote fellowship and community. Each person is encouraged to work with each other and professionals and mentors to create a transformational plan pertinent to each individual. For more information on how we can set up a program specifically for you, call us today at (310) 773-3809.