Following drug or alcohol addiction, there are some necessary steps to follow in order to achieve your long-term and short-term goals. To actively achieve long-term recovery and change your behaviours, thoughts and needs, there are various methods and therapies that you will have learned in rehab.
At private drug and alcohol rehab, the tools you need for long-term goal setting are nurtured. Often in rehab, you will learn how CBT therapy and counselling work together to give you both peace of mind and in-depth insights into your needs. If you want to help yourself recover from addiction to a pathway to sobriety, then it is vital that you focus on setting small goals that are achievable.
Some of the ways in which this is possible are by developing strong life skills. If you desire to help yourself, then you need to remember the tools learned at rehab, including mindfulness and focus. Adjusting your mental focus on yourself is important, after all, we only improve ourselves by taking time for self-care and appreciating self-worth.
Helping a Recovering Addict Focus on the Present and Future
The simple tips in life such as eating better, exercising and sleeping better are the foundations for change and positive movement for the future. Not only does addiction recovery take a lot of support from those around you and your private rehab therapists, but also takes constant positive energy. Start at your own pace.
It is important you set goals only for the present and future. The past is behind you, and there is no point in being distracted by who you were. Rather, you should focus on who you’re becoming. Your alcohol or drug addiction is part of your past, and the issues that have been created as a result of your addiction are also behind you. That is why making small weekly and monthly goals can help keep you positively distracted and focused on a healthy and happy world.
Developing Discipline
This is a specific element of your lifestyle that must be met with certainty. Discipline is needed to ensure that you follow through on all the goals you set once you have completed a rehab programme. These goals may be divided into specific areas of your life: home life, social life and work life. The goals that you set will only work if you work yourself and create a strict setting for you to thrive.
At Action Rehab, you will learn a multitude of life skills that you can adapt daily. Eliminating distractions is the best place to start. Make plans in advance and have things to look forward to – this way you will spend time being disciplined daily.
Creating Positivity When Goals are Reached
When you reach a goal, whether that is something as big as finding a new job, or something as small as creating healthy meals for the week, you should reward yourself with something meaningful. This may be taking yourself shopping, ordering pizza, or taking a trip to the cinema. If you can give yourself a type of positive energy and associate this with succeeding, you will find it much easier to make bigger plans and set even bigger goals in the future.
Creating positive energy may also be taking time to meditate or journaling. It may be that you want to reset your space, by making it calmer, tidier and well-aired. The setting and environment that you live in daily will also determine how successful you are with meeting your goals.
Building Confidence
Confidence building is not an overnight phenomenon. However, you often build self-confidence during your time at alcohol or drug rehab. This is because you’ve opened up to your traumas and begun healing. The group counselling sessions also play a big role in helping you feel more secure internally.
Boosting your confidence can be done through numerous channels. Perhaps you want to change your appearance, after all, a spruce up can make us feel much more positive. Maybe it’s as simple as a new jacket or a new hairstyle. To go deeper than this, you can improve your confidence with simple steps such as:
- Understanding and knowing what you’re good at
- Build positive relationships and get close to people who offer you positive energy
- Be kind and speak words of positivity to yourself
- Know your boundaries and clearly say no when it doesn’t feel right to you
- Challenge yourself, when you feel like it, as this will greatly improve your self-esteem
- Share laughter and positive times with people around you
- Don’t be afraid to share your story with people. Addiction is not a crime
Building Self-Awareness
Self-awareness incorporates various human elements, including what your boundaries are, how you feel when bad things happen, and how you choose to behave relating to these things. Are you aware of how you react? Or how do you behave? Are you aware of how emotional you are and what your limitations are?
When you can start to appreciate this, you can then start to work on ways to set goals. For example, how much time do you need for these goals and is it achievable this week or month?
How To Set Achievable Goals After Addiction
Goal setting becomes easier once you have a plan in place. If you want to make some positive life changes after addiction, to get your life back on track, you should consider:
- What do you want, exactly?
- Set the goal, write it down and make a timeline
- Identify possible problems and work out how they could be mitigated
- Commit to the plan by doing one small thing daily towards your goal
- Do things that make you happy in between
If you are facing addiction and are struggling to keep your life secure and positive, you can reach out to a professional and friendly team who will endeavour to help you with your problems.
At Action Rehab, we have a multidisciplinary team that works for you, at a time that is convenient for you. If you need urgent help, please reach out to us on 0151 268 6992 today or contact us.
Posted on Friday, January 27th, 2023 at 11:36 am in Latest News, Rehab.
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