Positivity in Recovery
As I recently celebrated a year being clean and sober, I have been asked the question, “How did you do it? How did you stay sober?” I think that there are a lot of answers to this question, such as determination, listening to suggestions, and not getting myself into compromising situations. I think the one thing that stands out is my positivity in sobriety. I have stayed positive through all my faltering, heartaches, and uncertainties. In this blog, I will pinpoint the three things that have helped me stay positive in any situation: affirmations, positive words, and a positivity journal.
1. Affirmations: An affirmation is a declaration that something is true, so if I say I am handsome, then it is true. When I was new to recovery, this was hard because I still had low self esteem. I just had to pick random positive affirmations and believe they were true. Today I know they are true. I put affirmations on my bathroom mirror. This is a great way to wake up and start my day off positive. I use affirmations like “I am handsome, I am smart, I am a clean and sober addict and I am healthy.” Today not only do I believe these things are true, but they help me keep a balanced life. If I say these things every morning, not only are they true, but I want to keep striving to make sure they stay true another day.
2. Positive words and quotes: I can use any word or quote that reminds me of a positive aspect in my life. I first started out with just a couple of words like honesty, willingness and positivity. I put these on my wall next to my desk so every time I sat down at the computer I would think of positive things. Today I have words like school, family, meetings, work, today, talent, focus, passion and joy. They have spread outside my desk area all throughout the house in my bathroom, kitchen, bedroom and living room. I have them in large lettering on regular 8 ½ by 11 paper, so no matter where I am in the house I will not miss them and a positive thought always arises.
3. Positivity journal: I have a journal specifically for positive things in my life. I put positive things that I have done for other people or myself; I put positive quotes and sayings in it, and I put things that I have seen other people do that bring me a smile. I can look in this journal at any time that I feel I just need a positive thought in my head. I carry this journal everywhere I go, in the car, to work and school; that way I never have to be without a positive thought.
Positivity is a big part of my recovery. I hope you will take away some ideas to help you stay positive in recovery. I hope you have been encouraged by my blog. We can do this together.
Sean H. Morrison, Heroes in Recovery Lead Advocate