Getting sober required a lot of inner strength you may not have known you had. Now that you’re in recovery you’re faced with making changes or staying the same. Having the same mindset as you did when actively addicted, could lead to a relapse. Long term recovery necessitates a change in thinking, attitude and behaviors.
Hardly anyone likes change, but here you are without drugs or alcohol to bolster you. Learning to be flexible can be tremendously helpful in early sobriety, and all along your recovery path. Our friends may change lunch or dinner dates. Our kids get sick and we have to cancel plans to go to the movies. All sorts of changes can complicate our lives, but if we learn to be flexible we can smooth out the path in front of us.
Being flexible is about accepting changes that come along, finding resolutions and dealing with disappointment. Shoving our heels in the dirt and whining won’t help, nor will getting angry at the situation. When hit with a last minute change of plans, we can first acknowledge our disappointment to ourselves. When we give voice to our feelings it can ease us from the pain of the disappointment.
Another guiding factor in learning to be flexible is changing up your own routines. Being a creature of habit can hinder our ability to be flexible. Try taking a different route to work. Stop at a different coffee shop. Try new areas in the building to eat your lunch, or take a walk instead. The more we can vary our day, the more we can be open and flexible to change.
The attitude that it’s my way or the highway won’t help create greater flexibility in you. In recovery there’s a term used called an attitude adjustment. When you were actively in addiction, your cares, woes and needs were the center of the universe, just like a child’s. Although maintaining your sobriety is your main goal in recovery, it is important to recognize that other people’s needs matter as well. Learning to compromise is another tool when gaining ground with being flexible.
Learning flexibility can be achieved by taking it slowly and not forcing it. There’s no rule that says you have to be flexible at every turn. It’s a choice that you make. Your learning curve can be one step backwards and two steps forward. With everything you do in recovery, be gentle with yourself.
If you or a loved one struggles with addiction, get help now. Nexus Recovery Services specializes in addiction treatment and encompasses holistic therapy for the mind, body, and soul with a focus on staying active and connected to nature. Our mission is to provide tools and support for every client’s seamless transition into a meaningful and fulfilling life of sobriety. We offer a free and confidential consultation. Call us to get started: (310) 881-9151