Recovery is a lifelong commitment. Mustering up the strength to make that commitment isn’t easy, and that can be especially true for women.
It’s not uncommon for many women to experience a sense of guilt when they start prioritizing their own needs over the needs of others. And that guilt can do a lot of damage if left unmanaged.
The good news here is that it IS okay to prioritize yourself and your recovery. And if being there for others is genuinely important to you, it’s critical to understand that can’t happen if you’re not in a good place.
In other words, prioritizing yourself and your recovery is also the key to being there for others. They’re intrinsically tied.
While the thought of lifelong sobriety can seem daunting, the process is much easier when it’s broken down into goals.
Here are five tips to help you set and prioritize your recovery goals:
Break Down Large Goals Into Bite-Sized Targets
We’re all for setting lofty goals, as long as they’re achievable. The other thing about lofty goals is that they can take a long time to achieve. And that can kill your motivation if you’re not seeing results.
So, try breaking your larger goals into smaller, digestible ones and then decide which ones you’ll tackle first. Having consistently small wins is a lot more motivating than years without any wins at all.
And let’s not forget, there’s no such thing as too small of a goal. ANY progress is a step in the right direction.
Focus On What Matters Most to You
If you’re lucky, you’ll have no shortage of loved ones rooting for you during recovery. But it’s also important not to get too hung up on any expectations they may have for you.
This is a time when you need to focus on what matters most to you. Yes, reaching goals your supporters have set can be quite exhilarating, but focusing on your own self-worth is key to your mental health.
So, set goals that you can take pride in, even if they do nothing for those around you. That can be as simple as staying sober for one more day or taking 15 minutes each day to practice mindfulness.
Take Time to Work on Underlying Problems
Addictions are often the product of something that happened to you. So, it’s important to continue working on underlying issues that might be feeding your addiction. That could be some larger trauma issues or even depression or anxiety.
Focusing on your recovery can help your mental health and focusing on your mental health can help your recovery. They’re very much connected.
Helping Others Can Help You
Helping others in recovery is an important part of your journey forward. It not only provides a sense of purpose, but it also provides an extra layer of accountability that can increase your odds of success.
Connect with Professionals
Sometimes, guidance from professionals is the best course of action. We have locations all over. If you’d like to learn more about the addiction and mental health treatment programs provided by EHN, enrol yourself in one of our programs.
A Team That Supports Your Recovery Goals
The staff at our EHN Canada facilities are both compassionate and highly skilled, which makes them able to offer the most current, evidence-based forms of treatment. In working with our integrative team, you get the benefit of expertise from several specialists. The result is a structured and holistic addiction recovery program that offers a high degree of success.
Call us at one of the numbers below to start a conversation about how we can help you.
Bellwood (Toronto, ON): 1-800-387-6198
Edgewood (Vancouver Island, BC): 1‑800‑683‑0111
Ledgehill (Lawrencetown, NS): 1-800-676-3393
Sandstone (Calgary, AB): 1-587-350-6818
Gateway (Peterborough, Ontario): 1-705-535-0636
Nouveau Depart (Montreal, Quebec): 1-888-488-2611
EHN Online: 1-888-767-3711
