Quick Start: 5 Tips to Get a Jump on Your New Year’s Resolutions Today
The new year is here, and it’s time to get a jump start on turning all your New Year’s resolutions into reality in 2018. If you are in recovery, it is likely that at least a couple of your goals are focused on bettering your new life in sobriety. For all your recovery resolutions, here are a few tips to help you get things rolling right now:
1. Write it out. What is it that you want to accomplish in your recovery this year? What do you feel is lacking right now that will be remedied by the changes you envision making? Explore in writing exactly what it is that is uncomfortable for you and/or threatening your ability to stay sober, and then get specific in what you would like to see change in the coming weeks and months.
2. Focus on behaviors. It is easy to make grand statements like “I want to feel better,” or “I want to lose weight,” but because these are not action-oriented statements, they are difficult to turn into reality. Instead, make concrete resolutions that you can literally get up and do right now. Like “I’m going to quit smoking,” or “I’m going to go to the gym every morning and swim at 5:30AM before work” — something that you can check off every day.
3. Find a partner. Are you resolved to work the 12 Steps or work a fourth step around something that has been bothering you recently? Find a sponsor. Are you dedicated to making some progress emotionally in dealing with trauma from the past? Find a therapist who is well-versed in trauma-related therapies. Are you hoping to quit smoking, lose weight, or otherwise improve your physical as well as your mental and emotional health? Find someone with similar goals to motivate you.
4. Track your progress. Did you get up and go to the gym this morning? Make a note. Did you read for an hour, study a new language, or take part in a holistic treatment? Write it all down. The more you can see what you have been doing, even if the changes are subtle, the more likely it is that you will stick with your goals.
5. Adjust as needed. It may be that you find that your goal was unreasonable or simply doesn’t make sense in your life after all. This is not a problem, but it’s also not a reason to drop your commitment to your recovery in 2018. Instead, shift your goals to better suit your life and continue to work toward building the behaviors that will sustain you sobriety.
Quick Start: Treatment
If you find that you are unable to accomplish your New Year’s resolutions because drugs and alcohol are getting in the way, you are far from alone. The 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) found that 21.5 million American adults aged 12 and older were living with a substance use disorder, and corrections officers represent a statistically significant portion of that number.
If you are a corrections officer in need of help overcoming a substance use disorder, the First Responder Lifeline Program is the best choice for your recovery. Unique to American Addiction Centers, this first responder-focused treatment program offers:
· PTSD assessment
· EAP/MAP interaction
· Comprehensive care to support a treatment plan that is specific to first responders
· Therapists and a medical support team who are trained to work with first responders
· Family support groups and education
· Aftercare and support in recovery
Is 2018 the year you get sober? Contact us at (844) 646–4COS(267) to learn more about our First Responder Lifeline Program today.
