Have you decided it’s time to spend more time on self-improvement this year? For many people in recovery, self-esteem is an ongoing issue. Many people with substance use disorders report having trouble with self-esteem. You may have struggled with it when you were younger or something in your life shook you that made it hard for you to feel good about yourself.

For some people, their self-image slowly chipped away as addiction changed them.

Whatever the case may be, there’s a good chance you can benefit from better self-esteem. Working on it slowly can help you begin to reclaim your negative thoughts about yourself and create a new narrative.

Self-Esteem Building Activities

What kinds of things help you grow your sense of self-esteem? Many different activities can help! Here are some ideas for you to try to help build your confidence and feel good about yourself:

• Learn a new skill. That may mean something for a workplace or it could be a skill like learning to listen actively. It’s always good to challenge yourself and realize you’re still able to learn something new.
• Build a new habit, such as going for a walk every day to clear your head. New habits help us engage fully with the world, and replace our older habits that aren’t as productive.
• Read a self-help book and try out some of the exercises.
• Practice being assertive if you’re timid. Let people know how you feel and ask for help when you need it. You deserve to get your needs met!
• Practice affirmations. Focus on challenging your negative beliefs about yourself. Write out statements about yourself that are positive and practice starting your day with them, every day.
• Ask for help. Asking for help opens the door for getting what you need out of recovery. If you’re feeling low or bad about yourself, talk about those feelings with others and ask for their experience, strength and hope.

As you stay sober longer, you’ll begin to value yourself again and build a new life in recovery. In recovery you’ll learn that you’re not a bad person, just a human with flaws and feelings like everybody else.

Recovery means you’re getting better every day. Take it a day at a time! You didn’t become addicted overnight, so you’re not going to be 100% perfect with your recovery overnight. Give yourself a chance and be gentle with yourself.

Getting Help Through Sober Living

Sober Living is a great way to build more confidence in yourself and your recovery. In a structured environment, you’ll learn more about how to stay sober on a daily basis. Learn more about what our sober housing offers by giving us a call at 760-216-2077.

Once you’ve been in sobriety a while, life becomes more interesting. When you were drinking and drugging, you probably had goals that you thought about. But as addiction takes over, goals and relationships go by the wayside. It’s hard to remember your sense of purpose when you’re using drugs or alcohol. But once you’re sober, you’re probably already thinking of the new possibilities in life. Setting goals is a part of your new life. Using to-do lists can help you stay organized on a daily basis.

Getting Started with Your List

Many planners and organizers online offer to-do list pages. There are many ways that people in recovery learn to chart their progress and set goals. A list of things you want to accomplish every day can help you set aside specific times to work on things.

How many goals do you have right now? Pick up to five to start out with. List them on a piece of paper.  For each of your goals, there are steps to achievement. This is how you can begin to pursue them.

How to Create a List that Makes Sense

For example, if you want to go back to college next year, what are the steps that you would need to take? Break it down into easy steps, such as:

1. For one thing, you’ll need to choose a school.
2. You’ll need to apply and wait to be accepted.
3. You probably need to get your high school or college transcripts and send them to the schools of your choice.
4. You’ll need to figure out how to pay for school.
5. You’ll need to decide what semester you’ll go back.
6. Finally, you’ll choose your classes and take them.

For each of these goals, you can write a new to-do list to accomplish it. Once you’ve done this, you can break each goal into small tasks that move you forward.

Consider Sober Living

Many people who have completed treatment feel like they need more time to focus on their recovery. Sober housing, in a safe and serene environment, can help you learn more about what you want out of recovery. Learn more about how sober housing can help you learn more about life in recovery by calling us at 760-216-2077.