Recommitting to Your Recovery

The start of a new year is a chance to re-evaluate your life and your recovery. If you haven’t yet given any thought to where you are now in your recovery journey and where you’d like to be, this is a good exercise in self-improvement and discipline that will help you fully enjoy the benefits of a stable and sober life.

Of course, nothing is ever as simple as it sounds. So, if you’re wondering how you go about recommitting to your recovery, what that means, and whether you need to seek additional sobriety support, we can help. First, let’s take a look at why it’s important to consider recommitting to your recovery in a new year.

Related post: The Only New Year’s Resolution You Need In Recovery

The importance of recommitting

Why should you renew your commitment to your recovery? Is it worth all the time and effort it requires? Many people would argue that it is. Recovery is an ongoing process that requires a consistent commitment. After you first get sober, you might experience what’s known as the “pink cloud” period, where life is great and everything is going your way. However, once this fades and the reality of life’s challenges start to weigh more heavily, you might feel discouraged and unsure of whether your sobriety will last. 

However, when you consistently recommit to your recovery, you’re making a choice to stay sober even when life is hard. You choose to deal with the good, bad, and bland parts of life sober, even when it’s hard. In doing so, you’ll gradually increase your tolerance for stress and come to the realization that recovery is not about a sudden and drastic life change. Instead, it’s about slow, internal and genuine growth that lasts.

Life happens and priorities change and shift sometimes. In certain instances, you might even find that your recovery falls to the wayside amid unplanned life circumstances. Or perhaps you’ve just lost focus, relocated to a new area where you lack support, or intentionally ignored your previous commitment to sobriety because it got too hard. 

Taking the time to reassess your sobriety and your commitment to recovery is a great way to identify areas of strength, weakness, and potential improvement. It’s also an opportunity to get honest with yourself and others about whether or not you need help to get back on track.

Do I need to recommit to my recovery?

Sometimes, recovery can feel mundane. But regardless of how you feel about your sobriety, it’s up to you to assess your life and determine what you should do to get back on track. Over time, some of the most common ways people lose focus or commitment to recovery include:

• Going to meetings
• Attending therapy
• Maintaining complete abstinence from addictive substances
• Dealing with anger and resentment
• Keeping up with a sponsor and sober peers
• Giving back/volunteering
• Maintaining healthy relationships
• Pursuing a spiritual practice
• Keeping up with daily responsibilities like paying bills and going to work
• Exercising regularly
• Maintaining a balanced and healthy diet

If you recognize that you lack balance or commitment in some of the areas listed above, recommitting to your recovery might be a great way for you to get back on track in 2022.

Ways to recommit to your recovery

Now, saying that you want to recommit to your recovery and actually doing it are two very different things! So, let’s take a look at some practical ways you can recommit to your recovery in 2022.

Start attending meetings again.

When you first get sober, it’s easier to fully throw yourself into attending recovery meetings one or more times a week because you’re strongly motivated to stay sober. However, life tends to get busy and your motivation might drop off with your meeting attendance. You might even find yourself making excuses for why you don’t need to go to meetings anymore. But, if you’ve stopped attending 12-Step meetings or other types of recovery meetings, it’s time to get back to it! Going to regular meetings is a great way to recommit to your recovery and receive support and accountability in the process. It’s never too late to start going back and your sober community of peers will welcome you back with open arms.

Set goals for yourself.

As we mentioned above, recovery is a lifelong commitment. And often, we just choose to take one day at a time. A good way to stay motivated is by setting small, achievable goals that you know you can get done. For example, if you want to re-work the 12 Step Program, you can say, “I will read the Big Book for 15 minutes each morning.” and set aside that time every day to work the steps. Another related goal could be finding a new sponsor (if you don’t have one) or reconnecting with your old one by making a single phone call.

Be of service to others.

If you’ve been focused on your own life and needs, try breaking out of that rut by serving others. One of the main aspects of living a life in recovery is service and that can look many different ways. Whether you choose to take a newly sober person under your wing and become a sponsor, help with setup and teardown at meetings, or volunteer at your local food pantry, giving back is good for your mental health, boosts your self-esteem, and may help you develop a mindset of gratitude in recovery.

Rid your home of potential triggers.

It’s hard to focus on your recovery and stay committed when you’re surrounded by triggers that remind you of your past addiction. Take the time to look around your home, cubicle or office at work, and your car, and remove any objects that remind you of your drug or alcohol-abusing days. You may also need to remove certain friendships from your life too. If you find that certain relationships are consistently pulling you away from your recovery goals and sobriety, they’re likely not healthy for you.

Get support.

Having a strong sobriety support network is essential for your long-term success in recovery. If you need help getting back on track, consider enrolling in an in-person or online intensive outpatient program (IOP) or a sober living program, where you’ll receive personalized support and live in a structured sober home.

Related post: Common Relapse Triggers to Avoid

Getting back to your sobriety with sober living Austin TX

Maybe you need to recommit to your sobriety in 2022 but you need help. The caring professionals at Eudaimonia Recovery Homes are here to help. We’ve been in your shoes and we know how it feels to be discouraged, run down, and unsure of where to turn next. Our IOP and sober living programs offer personalized support and safe, structured sober living environments for men, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals in recovery. Whether you’ve been sober for six months or six years, we’re here to help you get back on track and achieve long-lasting sobriety.

Get started today by contacting us online or calling (512) 580-3131 for more information.