Tips That Really Work to Stay Motivated in Recovery

No one knows better than you that sobriety is no easy task. The obstacles seem endless – pressure from friends, cravings, judgments from every angle, financial difficulties and more. 

Although there’s sweet freedom at the end of the road, on a daily basis it can feel unattainable. The good news is that even though the battle is hard, you’re on your way to sobriety.

Staying motivated in sobriety

First, congratulations are in order. One of the hardest steps in recovery is deciding to begin, and even when it feels like you take two steps forward and one step back, you’ve begun the journey towards recovery and that deserves praise.

Motivation in sobriety is key to success, but people often struggle to find motivation, especially when they seem to need a daily supply. In this article, we’ll look at ways to boost motivation and find it in the most difficult times, as well as tips for setting goals and staying on track.

Write down your priorities

When you’re working towards sobriety it’s important to establish your priorities. Life always requires compromise and recovery is no different. You’re going to have to sacrifice some things to get the thing you want most, your freedom back.

The best way to establish priorities is to write them down or talk them out in therapy, the more concrete the better. Decide what’s more important – a stable income or the outlet of using substances, the friends who you used to hang out with or a repaired relationship with the family. When you put your priorities in order, looking at the top of the list can give you an extra dose of motivation.

Make SMART goals

If you’ve never heard of SMART goals before, now’s the time to change the way you plan and track your progress. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timely. Using this format to make goals for yourself will revolutionize how you go about your recovery and you’ll be reaching goals in no time.

Nothing is quite as motivating as reaching a benchmark you set for yourself, and that kind of achievement has a lot to do with the way you set goals. 

Write it out

Keeping a substance use journal will be one of the most helpful tools to process your journey and see your progress. There’s no one specific format to use for your journal, as long as you’re writing regularly (once a day is best). Use substance use journal prompts if you’re stuck, and make sure to track your triggers and any potential relapses.

Envision the future

A study published in the journal Annals of the New York Academy of Science found that people have a hard time imagining themselves in the future, and therefore are pretty bad at preparing for it. In fact, the brain acts one way when you think about yourself and another way when you think about others. When you think about yourself in the future, your brain acts like it’s thinking about someone else.

No wonder it’s so hard to put in the effort for your future self now. There are ways to change this, though. Start writing as yourself from the future. Talk about how freeing sobriety feels, all that you accomplished and ways your overall wellbeing has benefited.

Don’t go it alone

One of the best ways to find motivation in sobriety is to have people on your team who care and can give you a pep talk on the hardest days. Whether that is a supportive social circle or a therapist, having people cheer you on can make all the difference. Sharing your goals can also give you a sense of accountability.

Having the right relationships in your life is crucial when relapse happens, too. Sadly, relapse is all too common, but it’s been proven that having strong social support increases engagement in treatment and treatment success.

Get help finding motivation

Problematic substance use can burn a lot of bridges and you may not have the help you can depend on. At Freedom Detox you can find a variety of treatment options, from group therapy to inpatient programs to individual sessions- all of which will provide the specialized services and support you need.

Staying motivated is hard, but with the right treatment, sobriety is possible and within reach. Call 800-475-2312 to get started today.