This is the second entry in our three-part series about the ways in which small changes to your routines can lead to big benefits going forward. Those benefits include underpinning your recovery efforts. We shared three tips in part one of Little Changes Can Bring Big Benefits in Recovery; here we share three more.
Remember ‘You Are What You Eat’
You have probably heard that old cliché, “You are what you eat.” It is a simple reminder that the food we consume truly matters to your overall health. If, for example, if you regularly eat unhealthy foods, you are likely to be more generally unhealthy. On the flip side, if you eat healthy foods most of the time, you are more likely to be healthy. Making changes that replace unhealthy foods with healthy alternatives, then, is a great way to improve your health and support the foundations of your recovery.
We believe this topic is so essential to your recovery that we devoted an entire series of blog posts to healthy eating habits. Here, for example, is Making Good Lunch Choices. If you are hungry to read the whole series, you can find links to all of the entries in This Bingeable Series from our Blog. Also, keep in mind that we wrote about the importance of hydration in the first entry of this series about little changes.
Do Not Let Big Tasks Overwhelm You
Have you ever had a moment when you know what you need to do next, but you can’t seem to convince yourself to do it? It can happen at work when the next project on your to-do list seems impossibly large. It can happen at home when you have been meaning to do one thing or another around the house, but you can’t quite get started because everything seems too hard.
In some cases, these struggles might indicate a mental health disorder may be in play. But that feeling of being too overwhelmed or undermotivated to start something new can arise for anyone. Those feelings can quickly lead to an increase in stress—and over a period of time, increases in stress can pose a threat to your recovery.
So how can you keep big projects from bogging you down and amping up your stress levels? We would recommend breaking those daunting tasks into smaller parts.
Let’s say, for example, that you work for a performing arts center, and you need to write the text for the organization’s website—a sizeable project that requires a description of each event on the schedule. When you think about the whole project, it could easily become overwhelming. But if you break it down into smaller parts (maybe you will decide to write three blurbs in the order the events appear on the schedule or to write all the jazz concert descriptions), you may find that you can get yourself going.
Once you get yourself going, you may be on your way. But if you get stuck again, you can always make a project smaller again, keeping feelings of stress at bay and protecting your recovery.
Be Aware of How You Are Feeling
It is easy to forget to check in with yourself. Your day is likely filled with demands, and the pressures related to those demands can make it hard to take the time to reflect. But being intentional about pausing and examining how you are feeling is a worthwhile habit to get into. A daily period of self-reflection can be truly helpful (and, of course, you need not limit yourself to one).
At lunch, for example, you might take just a few moments to ask yourself some quick questions. How are you feeling at the moment? What was the best part of your morning? What was the worst part? How can you build on your morning momentum or turn around a day that did not start off the way you might have liked?
Giving yourself the opportunity to think about how you reacted to various moments can be revealing. It can also be the first step toward being more present, which can help you feel more in control of how you proceed through your day. That sense of being present can be ongoingly helpful as you do the ongoing work of keeping your recovery intact.
One More Set of Suggestions to Come
As we have noted, this is entry two of three in this series. We have one more set of small changes to recommend—changes that can be fairly easy to implement and can have a big impact on your ongoing recovery.
Getting the Help You Need Is a Big Deal
We have been writing about small changes, but if you are struggling with a substance use disorder, you need to make a big change. The team at Bel Aire Recovery Center can help you do just that.
Located near Wichita, Kansas, Bel Aire Recovery Center offers personalized treatment plans because we understand that each person’s situation and needs are unique. Our medically supervised approach to detoxification ensures you can get free of drugs or alcohol in a safe and comfortable environment that is free of temptations. Our excellent rehabilitation program will get you ready to start your recovery journey, and our robust aftercare program will ensure you have the ongoing support you need.
