Keeping Your New Year’s Resolutions

Cheerful group of people with sparkles together celebrating New Year eve

Suggestions for improving yourself come from all quarters this time of year. There is a resolution list for every kind of self-improvement: getting in shape, improving your love life, sticking to recovery, and the list goes on. Each New Year’s Day, resolutions are optimistically made and two weeks later they are abandoned or forgotten.

Why Make a Resolution?

The Christmas and New Year holidays provide a perfect opportunity to start over. Because they are close together, they act as a “timeout” from ordinary life. This is a good time to reflect on what has not been right with your life and look to making it better in the future. You may have had more time off work, and maybe you reconnected with friends or family. You may have been touched by someone’s kindness, or moved by someone’s need. The songs and stories of the holidays paint a picture of a better world and better people, and you want to be one of them.

How Do You Stick with Your Resolution?

Once the holidays are over, the hurry and stress of everyday life begin again. Those New Year resolutions quickly take a back seat to more immediate concerns. Keep these tips in mind, and next year, you may be able to look back and say, “I did it. I kept my resolution.”

  • Make your resolution something concrete and achievable like “I will walk from 5:00 to 5:30 on MWF.
  • Keep a diary or resolution journal to help you focus on your goal and adjust for things that get you off track. If you didn’t walk on Friday, take a hike on Saturday and note it in your journal.
  • Acknowledge your “try,” not your shortcomings. Give yourself a mental pat on the back each time you stick with your plan.
  • Play the long game. Your goal is improvement, not perfection!

Helping You Achieve Your Goal

Are you a man 18 or older who has resolved to get sober this year? 10 Acre Ranch has the treatment and support to help you make it happen. Call 877-228-4679 to verify insurance coverage and start the enrollment process, or to speak with a member of our team about your sobriety goals.

Enjoy Your Favorite Social Activities in Sobriety

Social Activities in Sobriety friends having fun

In early recovery, social occasions produce anxious moments: first, while you are anticipating them, and then while you are there experiencing them. Your anxiety is legitimate; after all, you are now living life without the effects of alcohol. Like any new experience, you wonder how you will fit in, and as a recovering addict, you worry that the social environment will draw you back into your addiction.

Many experts recommend that during early recovery, you should avoid occasions where alcohol is going to be present, just as you avoid old friends or family members who shared or enabled your addictive behavior. But here’s a more difficult dilemma: Should you also avoid social activities that you once enjoyed while drinking, even if no alcohol is present? Does the activity alone make you vulnerable?

The Answer Depends on You
Getting to know your “sober” self is a big part of recovery. As you learn more coping skills and gain more insight into your own triggers, you will also gain confidence. If you once enjoyed country dancing, you’ll be able to join the line dances at the local recreation center and have a good time. If you liked to watch football with friends, you’ll still be able to enjoy a non-alcoholic game-day party without worrying that it will take you back to your drinking days.

Tips to Shake Off the Anxiety
Here are some ways to reassure yourself when you first venture out into old activities as a sober person:

1. Talk to your support group—find out how others have handled the situation.
2. Review your triggers and coping strategies.
3. Have an exit plan in case you feel you need to leave.
4. Take along a sober friend to act as support.
5. Relax and have fun. Remember that you are choosing to participate in these activities because you enjoy them. Sobriety allows you to get the most out of your experience.

A Social Model for Sobriety
Men 18 and older find new, sober lives at 10 Acre Ranch, southern CA’s residential rehab center. We provide activities and treatment that allow men to connect and support each other as they achieve sobriety. Call 877-228-4679 today to learn about our social treatment model and to start the insurance verification process.

Don’t Let Seasonal Affective Disorder Slow Down Your Recovery

young man feeling lonely during rainy season suffering from seasonal affective disorder

As the days grow shorter in the fall, do you find yourself withdrawing from normal activities? Do you feel weary, anxious, and disinterested? Do you find yourself craving carbs and overeating? Behavior like this may signal a type of depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. If you are pursuing recovery from drug or alcohol abuse, SAD can undermine your resolve and leave you in danger of relapse.

More than Just the Blahs!

Many people affected by SAD attribute their feelings to the “winter blahs.” However, SAD is a serious condition that is closely tied to depression and bi-polar disorder. Unless recognized and treated, it can take the joy out of sober living and lead to relapse.

Why this type of seasonal depression occurs is unclear, but scientists speculate that it may be due to changes in the body’s circadian rhythm, or to a drop in serotonin and melatonin levels.

Seek Treatment to Keep Your Recovery on Track

Once recognized, Seasonal Affective Disorder can be successfully treated with a variety of therapies:

  • High-intensity light therapy & natural sunlight
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy
  • Anti-depressant medication
  • Holistic practices like meditation & yoga
  • Physical exercise
  • Natural supplements

It is essential that an individual in recovery from drugs and alcohol recognizes the symptoms of SAD and gets treatment before a lack of focus and desire for a sober life derails recovery.

Dual-Diagnosis Treatment at 10 Acre Ranch

Recovery is a process with many pitfalls, but at 10 Acre Ranch, men 18 and older find the treatment and support they need to succeed. Our team of addiction specialists can develop an individual treatment program for you, even when there are mental health conditions present like depression or SAD. Are you ready to break out of your addiction? We can help. Call 877-228-4679 to learn more about dual-diagnosis treatment at our southern CA residential rehab facility. Or go online to submit a confidential contact form and verify insurance coverage.

Learn to Say No in Drug Rehab

drug-rehabilitation-Southern-California-Riverside-addiction-treatment-human-resources-employer-assistance-programs-testing

When you’re in rehab, the word NO applies to more than drug and alcohol abstinence. It’s an important word to use as you create boundaries and learn to achieve life balance: the healthy type of balance we all need if we’re going to pursue a fulfilling life.

Stress Drives Addiction

You may have begun drinking or using drugs to run away from a life that was unmanageable. The stress of work, relationships, or finances can drive men of all ages to seek escape through substance abuse or other addictions. Now that you’ve sought help, it’s time to learn to say no—to drugs, alcohol, overcommitment, chronic busyness, and pressure to conform. Many of our clients find that when they learn to live more simply, it is easier to sustain sobriety and find joy in day-to-day circumstances.

Depending upon your unique situation, you may need to say “no” to:

  • Occupational stress. Whether you own your own business, climb the corporate ladder, work as a tradesman, or go to school full time, it’s important to remember that your time, energy, and resources are finite. You cannot take on every task—and you cannot please all people at all times. Prioritize what is mission critical, and consider delegating or turning down what you cannot manage. If saying “no” isn’t possible in your job position, you may even need to revamp your career to prioritize your health and sobriety.
  • Relationship stress. You’ve probably been advised to take a break from romantic dating relationships during active recovery. This is sound advice, since you need to conserve time and emotional energy to focus on rehab. The same holds true for other relationships that drain you or contribute to unhealthy stress. Talk with your counselor about how to manage old relationships, when to pursue new ones, and learn to love yourself in the meantime.
  • Negative, destructive thinking. When your thoughts are dominated by patterns of negativity and victimization, it’s tough to embrace emotional healing. To let go of these destructive thought processes, (1) see a counselor or addiction therapist regularly, (2) join a support group or 12-step group that will hold you accountable, and (3) find ways to serve. Volunteering helps you abandon your unhealthy self-focus and allows you to focus on the needs of others – even for a short time.

Holiday Stress & Saying NO

The holidays can be a particularly difficult time to simplify. Party invitations, gift purchases, and family commitments threaten to steal your joy, but 10 Acre Ranch can help. Our team of accredited addiction specialists provide life skills coaching, boundary training, and therapy sessions that help you say yes to the important things, and no to the stressors that can overcome you as you fight to stay sober. To learn more or find out about insurance coverage, call 877.228.4679 now.