When we have come to terms with our substance abuse, we may begin to recognize the many ways it has made our lives unmanageable. We may feel as though we are living in chaos, without any structure to our days.

Once in sobriety, we may find it helpful to reevaluate what is important to us in life and how we can prioritize those aspects in our daily and weekly schedules. Setting up daily routines is easier than it might seem. Maintaining those routines can make a great impact on our mental health and our ability to relate to others.

Creating Routines

To create routines, we must first take the time to establish what is important to keep consistent in our day-to-day lives. Some people want to make space for more alone time, and others would love to carve out time to socialize. Many people like to wake up and shower right away. Others may begin their day by listening to music, creating art, cleaning, or working. Other individuals would like to start each day in their new sober life by hopping out of bed and going right to the gym.

Whatever we want to prioritize, our routines can ensure they become an integral part of our day. This can have significant benefits for our mental and physical health, especially while we are in recovery from addiction or mental health disorders.

Scheduling Our Routines

Once we have decided what routines are important to us, we can set a schedule to ensure we practice them consistently. The more specific we can be with our schedule, the better.

A schedule that could be very therapeutic for some people could include waking up at 8:00, making the bed immediately, brushing their teeth, making breakfast, and going for a walk all before 10:00. Other people may be night owls and function better if they stay up later and wake up later. People’s jobs, whether they have dayshift or nightshift hours, may make a certain schedule necessary.

The actual events and times in our schedules can vary; the important part is that it works for us and that we follow them. Keeping a schedule may be difficult at first, but it should become more natural and make things easier for us over time.

Building Confidence

When we have settled into our routines, they start to feel like a part of who we are. We can build confidence by accomplishing the everyday tasks that we have been practicing.

When we stick to our routines, we can realize that we are reliable people. We can show up for our friends and family through our routines and show them that we are on a path to the best versions of ourselves. We may have failed to show up for our loved ones in the past, but creating routines can help us redeem ourselves in that aspect. This confidence in our reliability can also be an asset in our professional lives.

Restoring Structure in Our Lives

Overcoming substance abuse can open our eyes to a lot of things we may not have realized before. We may not have been consistent in our actions or made the best choices. Now that we have clarity, we have the chance to restore the structure in our lives to optimize our quality of life. When we adapt routines to our lives after treatment, we can maintain our progress.

Routines for Maintaining Sobriety

Routines for sobriety maintenance can include seeing a therapist regularly to share and process our feelings continuously. Routines can mean that we attend weekly AA meetings or NA meetings. These meetings can provide us with insight, structure, and stability. We can meet others who share our struggles and form lifelong bonds and develop support systems with one another.

Routines for Friends and Family

Loved ones of someone who struggles with substance abuse can also benefit from Al-Anon or Nar-Anon meetings. Attending these meetings can help our loved ones understand what we are going through, and they will be able to show up for us better. Drug abuse and alcohol addiction have lifelong effects, even after recovery. We can always check in with ourselves and others to make sure we are all on track in living healthy, purposeful lives.

Creating patterns in our life can positively affect not only us but the people around us. We can gain consistency by accomplishing everyday to-do lists, making us more reliable people for ourselves and others. We can start with small steps like taking time out of our day to read for 30 minutes at a time and grow those routines into bigger tasks like studying for college classes or being reliable at work. We all have the potential to do great things in our lives, and we owe it to ourselves to be the best versions of ourselves.

After receiving substance abuse treatment, we may realize that our lives have not been manageable. There are many things we can start practicing to ensure we maintain our sobriety. Creating routines for our everyday lives can be a great start to becoming responsible and reliable. We can take time to think about what tasks are the most important to us and what we want to incorporate into our everyday lives. We can build confidence through routines like art therapy, outdoor exercise, and cleaning habits. We can see a therapist every week to work through our emotions and attend weekly support groups for people affected by drug use and alcohol addiction. There are many ways we can live up to our full potential, and creating routines is a great way to start. Call 449 Recovery to learn more at (949) 435-7449.