It is impossible to understate the power of positivity in a life of addiction recovery.
The human mind has an unbelievable ability to sway your thoughts and in turn your emotions. Focusing on staying positive when faced with a huge challenge like addiction recovery can have an incredibly positive effect on your ability to overcome said challenge.
While battling against addiction It is understandable if you go through periods of frustration during your journey to recovery. You have made huge life changes and it is bound to be difficult to maintain which will be frustrating. Despite any setbacks you may go through, big or small, it is vital that you remain positive. This positivity will end up helping you get to a point of comfort in sobriety much faster then you had hoped was possible.
Whether addiction is involved or not, positivity is proven to help your body in many different ways. Positivity is proven to help your immune system work more effectively, actively reduce stress and inflammation, increase energy, and even extend the length of your life.
All of these positives help anyone, but are extremely beneficial to a body and mind that is recovering from addiction. Addiction can wreak havoc on your immune system and body so any amount of healing is good, and the limited stress will make it far more manageable to get through the tough times in recovery.
More specifically, positivity will help you avoid a relapse, help you remain happy in a life of sobriety, and can even attract people to you. Attracting other people to you will help cement your new lifestyle and will help you bolster your personal support system.
Your body’s desire for a substance and abrupt lifestyle changes in recovery will without a doubt dominate your thoughts in the early days of recovery. While this is unavoidable, it is important to plan for these feelings and start to work on how to stay positive through anything.
Staying positive sounds well and good but it is easier said than done. Luckily we have some tips that have been proven to help people stay positive.
Tips to Staying Positive
Meditate
Meditation can be performed in many forms, some people practice in the traditional sense while others take walks or baths to clear their mind. Regardless of what form of meditation suits you, it is an exceptional way to train your brain to stay positive. The key is to clear your mind and focus on your breathing. This will allow your mind to wander into thinking about the future instead of dwelling on the past, making it far easier to be positive.
Take Responsibility
Blaming your addiction or setbacks on outside powers or other people will make you feel good in the short term but will hurt your ability to stay positive going forward because deep down you know it is more in your control then you realize. Acknowledging that you and only you have the ability to change your life for the better will make it much easier to stay positive going forward.
Find a Positive Support System
The people you choose to surround yourself with will have a profound effect on your ability to remain positive. If you continue to hang around with your friends from when you were suffering from addiction it will be easy to slip back into negative thinking. Instead of returning to old habits it is beneficial to surround yourself with positive people who share your new found positivity.
Having positive energy all around you will help you maintain positivity every day.
Take Care of Your Body
Another step you can take in your journey to perpetual positivity is to take care of your body. Addiction is extremely bad for your body so starting to eat healthy and exercise will help you reverse some of those effects. Meanwhile, eating healthy and exercising will help your body and mind feel better on a daily basis and when you feel good it is easier to have a positive outlook on the day.
Be Optimistic
Optimism is tricky to nail down but can be very effective in your battle against addiction. Always thinking about the best outcome for any challenge you have in life will help you stay positive and really believe in yourself.
Explore New Hobbies
It is easiest to stay positive when you are having fun, so finding a new hobby or revisiting a hobby from before your addiction will help you find more joy in life. Along with the happiness and easier positivity you will also meet more positive and like-minded people that will help you continue on your journey of sobriety.
Communicate
When you are having trouble with something in life and can’t seem to find your path back to positivity then it is vital that you talk about your feelings with your trusted support system, either professional or personal. Being open to help and open with your feelings will help you move past whatever problem you are facing so that you can be positive and happy again soon.
Remind Yourself of the Good
When you are facing a difficult time on your journey to recovery it is vital that you remind yourself of all the good in your life. The good will look different for everyone, but seeing the positive in your new friendships, your new healthiness, or just your new path can go a long way in helping you power through whatever is bothering you at the time.
The Power of Positivity
As we have addressed above, remaining positive is a huge benefit in a life of sobriety and journey to recovery. Positivity and the actions that promote it will actively help your body and mind heal from your addiction. As you heal you will find new friends, new activities, and new joys in life.
Just remember when times are at their toughest that a little bit of positivity can go a long way.
