With a new year approaching, there is a lot of hope about what’s in store for the recovery journey. You may have some big dreams considering the progress you’ve made. But are new year’s resolutions a good idea if you’re in recovery? No doubt others are practicing this annual tradition, but should you? And what are good new year’s resolution ideas to pursue in recovery? The clock is ticking. Let’s explore.
A Realistic Look at New Year’s Resolutions
According to History.com, the genesis of making new year’s resolutions started about 4,000 years ago with the Babylonians. From there, the practice evolved and was adopted by other cultures. The Romans made promises for good conduct for the coming year to their god, Janus. Eventually, early Christians used the new year to reflect on past mistakes and make resolutions to do better in the coming months.
You know what the practice of making new year’s resolutions looks like today. Many of the resolutions we make in the twenty-first century are familiar, such as:
- Saving money
- Losing weight
- Getting fit and staying healthy
- Becoming more organized
- Learning something new
- Stopping smoking
- Falling in love
- Spending more time with family
While resolutions can be fun to make in the moment, do they come to fruition? You likely already know this answer as well. Studies show that 88% of people who set new year’s resolutions will fail them within the first two weeks, shares the Baylor College of Medicine. Ouch. In other words, sticking with the resolutions you make now won’t be easy.
Should You Have New Year’s Resolutions in Recovery?
The honest reality of fulfilling new year’s resolutions may feel like a letdown. But making lasting, healthy changes is never easy. With that said, should you even make resolutions for next year if you’re in recovery? The decision is a personal one, and may vary based on your situation. If you decide to make resolutions, here are a few factors you should know as you begin:
Pursuing recovery isn’t the same as checking a resolution off of a to-do list. That’s because recovery is something you work at for life. Even if you accomplish a recovery goal next year, it’s still something you need to manage in the years to come.
Recovery isn’t always linear, either. You may make progress, then have a setback or relapse. You may need to modify or scale back your new year’s resolutions in three, six, or eight months. If that happens, it’s OK. Accomplishing your resolutions will likely look different than someone else’s experience who isn’t in recovery.
Your resolutions also need to actually be achievable. Nothing too big or lofty. Because recovery is already a challenging road, it’s best to have small and realistic goals as your resolutions. Otherwise, you run the risk of triggering negative emotions like shame, guilt, or additional stress (on top of all that holiday stress you’re managing right now) that could drive you to relapse.
Productive Recovery New Year’s Resolution Ideas
Like any recovery goals, new year’s resolutions can give you purpose in pursuing your sobriety. With that said, it’s best to share any new year’s resolution ideas with your counselor, support group, or mentor before moving forward with them. Some good new year’s resolution ideas that can get you started for next year include:
- Increasing your recovery community: Become a member of a support group if you’re not in one yet, and maintain regular attendance. Consider participating in alumni programming at your treatment facility. Any opportunity to build your support network in recovery is a win.
- Serving others: Volunteering makes you feel good and provides encouragement along your recovery journey. Self-confidence and personal satisfaction come from being counted on by others and giving back, ultimately fueling your recovery further.
- Keeping up with self-care: How disciplined are you with self-care habits? Focus on adding physical fitness, nutrition, and healthy sleep to your daily routines. Caring for yourself is vital to keeping any mental health disorder or addiction from controlling your life.
- Cultivating thankfulness: Since recovery isn’t linear, gratitude for the small successes along the way is important. Make next year the year you remain consistently thankful, perhaps by writing in a daily gratitude journal. This helps you remember what you’ve achieved through your recovery efforts.
- Taking on a new hobby: A year in recovery may lead to extra time on your hands. This is the perfect opportunity to fill said time with an activity you enjoy. Think through a hobby you’ve been curious about and adopt it into your life in the new year. Taking on a new hobby can also help with self-care, too.
- Pursue healthy coping strategies: Challenges and difficult emotions will still come in recovery. When they do, it’s key to have healthy coping strategies at the ready. Consider adding more self-soothing techniques in the new year to help you stay the course.
Getting Professional Help for Addiction or Mental Health in January
As the new year approaches, are you finding yourself still struggling with addiction or your mental health? If so, perhaps the most important resolution you can make is to seek professional help.
At Integrative Life Center in Nashville, TN we treat a variety of conditions, from mental health disorders to substance abuse, hypersexual disorder, eating disorders, and more. And we offer dual diagnosis treatment for co-occurring disorders as well. Let this be the year that you finally overcome your challenges and reclaim your life. Call us today to get started.
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