Recovering from a substance addiction can be a long battle with many slips ups and maybe even a few relapses. It’s hard to kick an addiction overnight, and it’s really hard to overcome any addiction if you don’t focus on getting your life back on track.
Staying sober is difficult unless you learn to avoid the bad influences in your life and focus on the positive ones. Having a good mindset will help you recover faster and give you a better possibility of staying sober than if you continue with the life you had when you were still using. Here are a few pieces of advice that can help you cultivate a positive outlook on your life and your recovery.
Break Contact With Those Who Still Use
As painful as it can be, if you want to stay sober, you may need to break a few relationships that once made you think you were happy. This means that the friends and acquaintances you used to use with need to be cut out from your life while you try to recover.
Being around people who use the very substances you are trying to avoid will almost always have a negative impact on your recovery. You will hear people talking about it and you may even see people using. This will do nothing to help your recovery, so cutting ties quickly is the best option. Once you recover, you may even be able to help them follow your lead and kick the habit as well.
Look for Reasons Not to Use
A positive attitude will do wonders for your recovery chances, so always look on the bright side of life. If you have trouble thinking about reasons not to use, you can take notes from a site like 10 reasons to stop smoking weed, which will give you some ideas.
Every day, think about the reasons you have in your life to stay sober: friends, family, a creative endeavor, or a sport that you’ve always wanted to get good at. Anything that makes you see that those things are more important than your addiction will make it easier every day to say “no” to your cravings and urges. Soon, if you do this regularly, it will be second nature.
You can also talk to family and friends for support as they can help you stay motivated by keeping a check on your habits. Additionally, you can join a recovery program for extra support and guidance. Remember that weed psychosis is no joke and you can go into relapse without even realizing it. To stay safe, it’s best to surround yourself with people who understand and support your journey. Avoid triggers and seek professional help if needed.
Limit Your Stress
The chances of slip-ups and relapses increase when you’re stressed out, so take time every day to relax.
Focusing on your breathing and practicing yoga or meditation is an easy way to reduce stress. Exercise has also been proven to help reduce the ill effects of stress. Pick up a calm hobby like painting or drawing or, if you have an aggressive personality, look for a recreational sporting league you can join to blow off steam. The important thing is to find things to do that make you feel calm and do them every day.
Recovery from addiction can be a long journey, so set yourself up for success with a positive attitude and lifestyle.