When you first make the step to be sober and live a life beyond addiction, the challenges are going to be hard and arduous, but you’ve already made an enormous first step by admitting that you have a problem and need to get it solved. In the early stages of recovery, it’s important to set up a structure, or a routine, that prevents you from slipping back into dangerous habits. This is lot easier said than done, but it an absolutely crucial step to get your life back on track and rid yourself of addiction, once and for all! Here are some tips for building a routine in early recovery…
Make it simple
First off, don’t try to solve every personal issue or struggle you have in your initial routine. Trying to stuff too many things in one day is only going to overwhelming. Don’t think that you’re going to get every chore done, reach your fitness goals, and knock out your entire to-do list in a single day. Instead, consider what your priorities should be at this point, and accept that anything that isn’t directly helping you get sober and stay on track is superfluous (at least at the beginning). This will help you create a routine that is much easier to stick to.
Have loved ones keep you accountable
The key to having a good routine is that you need to feel like you must stick with it. The second you feel like this routine can be easily picked up or tossed out, when you feel like it, is going to lead you to a point where dangerous old habits start to creep back into your life. Because of this, you need to find ways to be accountable to this routine. One of the simplest ways to do this is to get help from the people who care about you. Reach out to family, friends, or even other support members to keep on you about your routine, and to encourage you to stick with it.
Don’t neglect basic needs
Addiction is able to thrive when you start to neglect the very things that you need to feel refreshed and healthy. For this reason, make sure that you don’t neglect the basics that help you live a balanced life. To start with, this means making sure that you have proper hygiene, are eating a balanced diet, and are getting a healthy amount of sleep.