As you continue to make progress in your recovery, you have grown in many different ways. Don’t believe me? Just take a few moments to think about how far you’ve come. The great news is that a lot of these skills are completely transferrable to other parts of your life, and the better you are with applying the fundamentals so they become second nature, the more success you will likely have in your recovery. The following are ways you can apply these recovery-based skills to other areas:
Stay humble and keep learning
Being overly confident in your recovery is often a key component, which can lead to relapse and other struggles. For example, if you are an alcoholic, being cautious often makes a big difference. When you feel you are too strong to be tempted, you let your guard down. Once this happens, you may find yourself drinking again. This is because according to the the amount of willpower you have is finite. By staying humble and continually learning you make yourself more self-aware and also learning to not put yourself into unnecessary risky situations. You know your sobriety is at stake, and you do not want to make any hasty decisions with something that important.
Embrace the power of positive motivation – This is very closely connected to having a good attitude because in many situations, positive motivation can help you avoid being negative. When you have a positive attitude, instead of viewing everything in a negative light, you view things in a positive light. The worst-case scenario is no longer your default attitude or expectation. Over time, you start find yourself expecting the best. Even if something negative comes along, you know it is just a matter of making a decision and refocusing. What was once a huge deal can now be just a small bump in the road.
Use the power of discipline in your life
Discipline is a very powerful concept and can easily be defined as doing things you don’t want to do to achieve the results you want. For a drug addict early in the recovery process, this may mean not going to a party or a gathering where you know you will be tempted. However, to achieve the goal of living a sober, healthy life, discipline is required. Discipline in one area of your life often carries over into other areas.
Focus on the skills you have developed the most
When you do this, you focus on your strengths, which is also where you will have the most impact. Talk to your support network, or even look up some of the words you do know in the thesaurus, and go from there. For many, a few of the words that come to mind are brave, focused, courageous, disciplined, relentless, determined or even stubborn. There are many words, and it really does not matter what you feel the words are.
Empty out the negative emotions inside
When in recovery, you know to handle your negative emotions instead of burying them. You may want to write down your negative feelings through journaling. Working out is another way to handle your stress in a positive way. You may even find that having a chat with a good friend or talking to your therapist is very helpful. When you release your thoughts, you find you feel better and manage problems in a much healthier way.
Finding a balance for your life
Start to pursue different interests, and learn new things. When you do so, your life becomes more balanced and not focused on just one specific area. Keep in mind that perfect balance is not the goal as that can be overwhelming. Instead, do your best and try new activities, and do not allow yourself to get into a rut.
According to psychology today, balance is one of the most important elements of the recovery process. If you feel you are stuck in any area of your life, do not hesitate to reach out for help. This is perhaps the one most important lesson from recovery. Always reach out for help instead of coping in unhealthy ways. Sweeping problems under the rug will not help you. Rather, talking about problems with open communication is one of the keys to your recovery.