Everyone moves through recovery differently, and it’s essential to find the individual tools that work best for you. However, one thing is certain: no matter how cliché it sounds, you make progress in your life one day at a time. Grasping this concept is hard at first (and maybe even annoying), but establishing essential routines and rituals helps you focus on what matters.

Trust You Can Do the Hard Things

There’s a common misconception that self-care is simply about scented candles, long walks, and antioxidant-rich foods. Those things are wonderful, to be sure. But self-care is also about doing what’s hard—and also good for you. If you’ve been through addiction treatment and are now in recovery, you know this better than most. And this is your superpower.

Recognizing how far you’ve come is critical to your continued success. Yet along with the “one day at a time” treaty is an acceptance that there’s still work to do. This isn’t because you’re “broken” and need to be fixed: it’s a chance to release more of the best of your true self.

One hard thing might be ongoing therapy and aftercare. What you tapped into during initial treatment was probably just starting to uncover the contributing factors to drug and alcohol addiction. During that time, you might also have been in withdrawal, and perhaps even away from familiar people and places. It may have been a raw, vulnerable existence.

Now that you’re more stable and have the motivation to better your life, there’s a chance to explore various types of therapy. So, your daily care routine might be to journal about what you discover in sessions and how you’d like to move forward to reinforce your dedication to sobriety. Hard sometimes, sure—but not anything like what you’ve already been through. Remember: this type of self-care is on your terms.

Reinforce Your Sobriety Network During Recovery

You may have been introduced to Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, or another 12-Step program. You might have also recognized that a more secular alternative, such as SMART Recovery, Women for Sobriety, or SOS Sobriety, is a better recovery community group for your particular path.

Regardless of which one you choose, the important thing is to walk it—every day. Even if you don’t attend daily in-person or online meetings, there are teachings and other aspects that help align perspective and intention for when you first wake up, provide a midday check-in, or create a sense of accomplishment and peace before you go to sleep.

Also stay in touch regularly with other members of your sober network. A coffee chat at a local cafe or online, a few shared texts, or getting together for a routine walk or another activity each day provides mutual support for shared goals.

Cultivate Your Healthy Lifestyle

Throughout the day, you make numerous wellness choices. These are the foundation for maintaining quality mental and physical health. Being proactive about these holistic lifestyle practices allows you to be more in control of reactions, manage cravings, and avoid triggers.

Consider adding some of the following to your daily recovery practice to fortify your sobriety:

• A whole-foods diet rich with lean protein, leafy greens, complex carbohydrates, and a variety of fruits and vegetables
• Consistent physical activity
• Dedicated sleep hygiene for better rest
• Good grooming habits
• A regular yoga practice and daily mindfulness meditation

Find Good in Each Day

This isn’t about being upbeat every day, all the time. Life happens, and all of our emotions are valid and appropriate in certain circumstances. But our brains are hardwired to focus on the negative to anticipate and avoid threats, so you have to make deliberate efforts to keep from being weighed down.

As part of your daily recovery practice, make a point of expressing gratitude and looking for inspiration to stay the course with the healthful decisions you’ve made. Here are some ideas that help you keep a positive outlook—you’ll notice most of them have to do with demonstrating your worth by authentically lifting up others.

Additionally, at some point each day, choose to listen to encouraging podcasts, read books about other people with successful, long-lasting recovery journeys, and find something that gives you a good belly laugh.

Seabrook Cares About Your Recovery

With four addiction treatment centers in New Jersey, Seabrook provides you or a loved one ample opportunity to make effective, life-changing decisions that create whole-person health. We have a board-certified staff of professionals who nurture you through each day, an array of comprehensive, evidence-based treatment methods, and a vibrant alumni program that supports your aftercare. Let us help make each day full of promise.