Life After Rehab

By Estil Wallace

Once you’ve taken the first steps on your path towards recovery from addiction, you’ll realize that some parts of your life are about to change in drastic ways. After the initial dust of transformation has begun to settle, you’ll be faced with an exciting, potentially intimidating prospect: building the rest of your life. One of the biggest questions you might find yourself asking is simply “what now?”

It’s not uncommon for people to worry that their new, sober lives will be intolerably boring without drugs, alcohol, or the crowd of friends they used to run with. On the contrary–this might be the greatest opportunity you’ve ever had. You get to redesign your life to be exactly as you want it to be. The sky is truly the limit and you’ve already seen what you can accomplish when you put your mind to it! Your recovery will have equipped you with the mental fortitude and the practical tools to make changes in your life as you see fit. Ask yourself who you want to be and take the steps towards becoming that person.

Live By Your Own Design

Now that you’re committed to staying sober, take a good look at your life and your place in the world. You have a rare chance to rebuild your life the way you want it to be. Did you always wish you could get in better shape? With your body and mind on the mend, now is a great time to join a gym, adopt a workout routine, and intentionally cultivate your physical and mental wellbeing. Consider building in time for trying yoga, meditation, mindfulness exercises, and self-reflection so that you nurture your emotional stability.

Your opportunities don’t end there. After living with substance abuse, sobriety can do wonders for your brain. You might surprise yourself with the new clarity of focus you can now achieve. Read a book that you always meant to start. Explore new hobbies, from the artistic to the immersive. Go hiking, write a song, hit up a farmer’s market. It may sound trite on paper, but your recovery grants you a new lease on life and you may surprise yourself with the amount of enjoyment you can now get out of things that you may have once overlooked or pigeonholed.

Expand Your Horizons

Many people in recovery take the chance to tap into their creative side. Making music, visual art, sculpture, writing poetry or prose, culinary crafts, and aesthetic design can all be rewarding efforts for your fresh mind. Nothing is off the table, even things you may have tried before. Your tastes and strengths develop with age and experience, so make sure you give yourself a fair shot at whatever interests you.

This is also a chance for you to set yourself on a new professional or educational track. Do some soul-searching and figure out what would nourish your mind and align with your future goals. Maybe it’s time to go back to school, learn a new trade, or pursue the career you’ve always wanted. Within months, you’ll find yourself with a new wellspring of internal energy that you might not have had before. Use it to your advantage.

Renew Your Own Relationships

The support and companionship that you’ve found in 12-Step programs or recovery groups don’t draw the line at getting sober, either. Your membership in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or other programs is meant to provide you with social structure and positive influences that will continue to benefit you for the rest of your life. As long as you’re interested in fostering healthy decision-making and exploring your potential, your fellowship is a perfect resource for recovery. Lean into the new relationships that you’ve formed as sources of friendship, new hobbies, and even new career opportunities.

Your existing relationships, too, will benefit from your newfound clarity and purpose. Rekindle old connections that you may have neglected in your old life. Pour some of that new energy into your family, close friends, and romantic companions. There are wealths of warmth, trust, and connectivity waiting to be discovered, and now you’re in a place to make changes for the better that will elevate your social life beyond any thrills you may have experienced in your past life.

Your new situation is anything but boring; this is your chance to reach for all the life goals that can only be achieved once sobriety is in place. Whether it’s professional growth, building up your family life, or beginning new relationships with others or within yourself, this is the start of a new age of possibility for you. Be sure to take advantage of the resources available to you through your treatment center and recovery programs; they know that the ups and downs of recovery don’t end with getting sober and they’re with you every step of the way.

It may seem like getting sober is the end of your old life, and once you’ve reached your recovery goals, you may think that you’ve reached the end of your progress. That’s not the case! This is just the beginning of the rest of your life. The help you get from your treatment providers doesn’t have to stop at getting sober. Lean into these new opportunities to connect with your peers, revamp your career, and pursue your dreams. At Cornerstone Healing Center in Scottsdale, Arizona, we know that sobriety is just the first part of building your new future and we provide personalized treatment for every step of the way. Whether you’re taking your first steps towards sobriety or you’re ready to look at building the rest of your life, we’re here to help. Get sober, stay sober, and live your best possible life. Call (800) 643-2108 to learn more.

Life After Rehab

Live By Your Own Design

Expand Your Horizons

Renew Your Own Relationships

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