There’s a lot of ways you’re unwittingly sabotaging your desire to stay sober. It doesn’t mean that you’re not committed to staying sober, it’s just that some habits stick around longer than others. Of course, the most important thing to remember at this stage is that you should always be self-aware. Without further ado, here are the top 3 ways you’re sabotaging your own recovery process (and how to reverse it).
Doing The Same Things
When you’re still doing the same things, sticking to your old routines, still going to the same places, and still retaining friendships with people who may not agree with your desire to stay sober, you’re basically giving yourself more chances of relapsing. When you go to the same places and stick with the same people, you’re not giving yourself a chance to open up to new opportunities and ways of looking at the present. In a matter of time, you might be surprised how easy it is to revert back to old habits.
It’s easier said than done but reversing old habits is one of the most important things you have to do. For some people, more drastic changes have to be made like, moving to a different part of town or moving to a different place altogether. It could also be as simple as deleting someone’s number from your phonebook.
Staying Angry
If you’re still angry (unwittingly or persistently holding on to old grudges), you’re basically staying in the past. And staying in the past means that you’re unable to move forward and start anew. For some people, anger manifests in different forms. Sometimes, anger can even mask as depression. Everyday, practice forgiveness. Forgive yourself. Forgive the people who have wronged you. It’s okay to cut ties and burn bridges but forgive and forget. For some people, forgiveness won’t come easy. It’s okay. Take it one step at a time. Appreciate with what you have in the present so you’ll have an easier time at forgiving past mistakes.
For some people, meditation helps. But if you’re not into meditation, channel all your negative feelings into a creative output (like a poem or a painting) or indulge in a new hobby or sport. When you have something to be positively passionate about, you leave less room in your mind and heart for anger and all other accompanying negative emotions.
Not Staying In the Present
When you’re always thinking about the past, feeling restless or pensive, it could all be down to thinking too much about past mistakes. It’s all right to relive past negative events as long as it helps you realize that your mistakes were made so that you can be a better, stronger person in the future. However, if you find yourself feeling paralyzed and unable to positively look forward to the future, you might be overdoing the ‘throwback’ process. Find peace with the past and stay in the present. This way, you won’t feel too negatively about the future but you will look forward to it like you’ve never done before.