At Hemet Valley Recovery Center & Sage Retreat, we hope you had a safe and sober Christmas. If you kept your addiction recovery intact, you should be proud. Navigating significant holidays can be a considerable challenge, especially in early recovery.
The holidays can bring unwanted emotions, which can lead to stress. However, those who prioritize the needs of their program can overcome any obstacle. If you stayed clean and sober over the Christmas holiday, take a moment to acknowledge your accomplishment. What’s more, you can use what you learned from the experience to get through any other significant day of the year, such as New Year’s Eve.
The end of the year is another challenging time. Typically, men and women have to go out of their way to avoid New Year’s Eve parties. Being around people who are drinking can trigger a relapse. This year could be different in that regard; most Americans will be foregoing NYE parties due to the coronavirus.
During regular times, men and women in recovery would come together to bring in the New Year free from drugs and alcohol. COVID-19 should give you pause about attending a recovery New Year’s Eve party. It’s too bad, recovery-focused celebrations can be a lot of fun, but public health should be high on your priority list. You wouldn’t want to close out the year by putting your health at risk.
Instead of celebrating the beginning of 2021 with your peers in recovery, consider taking the opportunity to write out gratitude and goal lists. Think about everything you are grateful for and consider the milestones you would like to achieve in 2021.
Making Progress in 2021
Addiction recovery is an avenue toward achieving goals and making continued progress. As men and women learn how to live life on life’s terms, they also discover that there is nothing that can’t be achieved. Working a program puts you in a position to set your sights high.
If you are spending New Year’s Eve by yourself, you can benefit from taking time to think about what you would like to achieve next year. Naturally, your recovery comes first; your life should revolve around working the Steps and attending meetings. If your recovery is your number one priority, you still have time to work towards other accomplishments.
It’s critical to set realistic goals for yourself. If you set the bar too high, you could face disappointment if you fall short. It’s helpful to talk with your peers in recovery about goal setting. Those with more time than you can help you layout achievable milestones for yourself. Look to accomplish things that are within reach.
It’s worth noting that your goals for 2021 could involve recovery solely. You could set the goal of working through all 12 Steps. 2021 could be the year that you are ready to start sponsoring others. Those who have been going to fewer meetings could set the goal of attending more meetings. No matter how much time you have, you can always go back to where you started; maybe you’ll consider doing 90 meetings in 90 days again.
Those of you who have significant time under your belt, more than a year clean and sober, can benefit from setting your sights higher. Working a program gives you the tools to accomplish remarkable feats. 2021 could be the year you look into starting college or finishing your education. Others may consider making a career change, choosing a field of work that better suits them. Each person is at a distinctive point in their life; your goals will look different than your peers.
Writing down what you would like to accomplish will make it tangible. You can revert to your goal list throughout the coming year to stay on track. As you check things off your list, you will be filled with a sense of accomplishment. Your achievements will serve as an incentive to continue working a program of addiction recovery.
The Goal of Recovery
2020 has been a most challenging year. Many Americans are struggling with mental health and addiction. Please contact HVRC if you would like to begin the journey of recovery in 2021. We offer many programs and services under one roof at our Chemical Dependency Recovery Hospital. Our admissions team is standing by to answer any questions you have; please call 866-273-0868 to learn more.
