You may not have noticed, or you may have before you entered recovery, your environment caused you to stress, friction, anxiety, fear, and more. So, how do you set your surroundings up to protect your life in recovery?
Even underlying conditions such as depression can benefit from you, setting up an atmosphere around you that creates peace and harmony. We have some tips for you on how to do just that.
Tips to creating an environment that helps your recovery
Your environment affects your physical and mental health. That is why it is vital to make sure that it is a positive effect to help you stick to your recovery. Here are some tips for creating a safe, positive environment.
- Find a safe, stable place to live. To do this may mean a small apartment on your own or a sober living home with 2 or 3 other people in recovery. This type of living arrangement should not be coed at the beginning of recovery because you need to concentrate on your recovery and health. Having a safe, stable place to live will relieve a large portion of stress that could trigger a relapse.
- End relationships with people who enable your addiction; this may sound harsh, but it is genuinely the best thing for you. Cut old friends, dealers, etc. from your life. Change your phone number and delete those contacts from your phone list, social media, email contacts, etc. Old friends from the days of your addiction may intentionally or unintentionally destabilize your sobriety.
- Set up boundaries; this means there may be people in your life, such as a family member that you will wish to continue a relationship with; but, only on specific terms. These terms may be, do not call me. I will call you once a month or do not come to my home. I will meet you at the coffee shop once a month. You have to stand firm once you tell these people the boundaries and do not let them break them. If, for example, the person comes to your home do not let them in instead say I will meet you at the coffee shop at a set time or if they call, allow the answering machine or voicemail to take a message then repeat the boundaries to them when you call them.
- Keep your home and your life tidy and clean. A neat, clean home will help keep the chaos out of your living space and your life. Tidy equates calm while messy equals chaos. Chaos triggers stress. Stress can trigger you into relapse; tidy generates safe, smooth, stability that helps keep you healthy.
Remember, recovery is about you being healthy mentally, emotionally, and physically.
At 449 Recovery , we will help you learn those tips and others that promote a healthy, sober living space, workspace, and contribute to your continuing recovery. Call us today (855) 435-7449 to learn more about our detox and therapies for rehabilitation.