Everyone has bad days, but they aren’t life or death. However, bad days can hold much more significance for individuals recovering from addiction than they do for the average person. Bad days can be a recipe for relapse if the person is unsure how to cope with them in healthy ways. Therefore, a bad day in recovery could mean the difference between life and death, sobriety and addiction. Learning how to cope with a bad day in addiction recovery properly is what will help you maintain lifelong sobriety. Consider these tips to help boost your recovery.
Make a List
Bad days threaten your sobriety because they may cause you to crave drugs and alcohol again to cope with them. Therefore, your main objective during a bad day in recovery is to stay sober. You can do this by creating a list of things you need to do that day. Prioritize what cannot wait to be done, and push things that are less significant until tomorrow. Make it simple and write smaller tasks, as checking them off the list will help you feel more organized and accomplished.
Practice Self-Care
Sometimes, we all need a little TLC to pull us out of a bad day. Open the curtains, take a warm shower, and eat your favorite breakfast. Try to walk around a little bit and get some fresh air. You don’t need to do anything too crazy that requires a lot of energy. Small actions add up into bigger outcomes, and caring for yourself can help boost your emotions, recovery, and turn your bad day around.
Reach Out for Help
Admitting you need external help can be challenging, especially if your recovery has been going so well. However, it is crucial to remember that everyone has bad days, even those who seem to have it all. Reaching out does not mean you are weak, but rather that you are strong enough to realize you can’t do it all on your own. Consider reaching out to a trusted friend, family member, sober buddy, or addiction specialist. The sooner you get the help you need to turn a bad day around, the better off your sobriety will be.
Bad days in recovery can feel like the end of the world. You may be tempted to return back to your old habits, but you fight the urge to cave. Luckily, there are ways you can overcome bad days in recovery and come out stronger than before. At Alta Loma Transformational Services, we work with residents to heal their addiction’s underlying problems and equip them with the tools needed to sustain lifelong recovery. Our Texas program provides the perfect place for healing. Call us today to learn more at (866) 457-3843.
