7 Healthy New Year’s Resolutions For People In Recovery In 2021

January 13, 2021 - Life in Recovery - 0 Comments

If you are in addiction recovery, maintaining your sobriety for the New Year is already a major undertaking. However, it is not such a bad idea to continue improving and enriching your life by setting New Year’s resolutions. If you are in search of New Year’s resolution ideas, we have listed down seven healthy goals that you can try accomplishing that could help you in your sobriety journey.

1. Eat better

When you’re trying to lead a sober life, it is important that you nourish your body with healthy food. You have to eat well to get the important nutrients so your body will recover from the damage brought about by your past substance addiction.

Eating better does not mean that you should deprive yourself or that you have to lose weight by following fad diets. What you need to focus on is the quality of the food that you’re eating by prioritizing fresh produce, whole foods, healthy grains, and protein. Avoid junk food and sugary items that do not really provide essential vitamins and minerals. By eating healthily, you can improve your strength and at the same time, you will feel better too.

2. Move more

One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to exercise but a lot of people find it difficult to maintain this goal. During the first couple of months of the year, many people join gyms or buy expensive exercise equipment but after some weeks, they tend to become lazy. So, what can be done to continue your fitness goals?

One way to keep you motivated is to find a physical activity that you enjoy. Instead of forcing yourself to do exercises that you don’t really like doing, you can explore other options that you can take pleasure in. This way, you are more likely to continue doing this physical activity. For example, if you enjoy dancing, you can enroll in dance classes or try following online dance videos. If you are an outdoors person, you can try hiking or jogging on the beach.  If you like more adrenaline-packed sports, you can also try extreme sports like rock climbing, zip lining, surfing, etc.

3. Get enough sleep

Sleep has so many restorative benefits but it is often underrated. When you get enough sleep, your energy will be restored and you will have a better mood. It will also help you to think more clearly throughout the day. Sleep can also boost your immune system which is very important for your overall health.

4. Stop stressing on small stuff

Stress, anxiety, and depression are often caused by worrying too much about every little thing – even things that are not worth stressing about. When you stress about the small stuff, this will affect your happiness and your wellbeing. When you feel yourself getting stressed, take deep breaths to calm yourself down. Don’t dwell on things that are causing your stress or anxiety.

5. Meditate

Mindfulness meditation is a practice wherein you intensely concentrate on the present moment. Doing this allows the mind to focus and can help you stay alert and relaxed at the same time. Mindfulness meditation can be beneficial for people who are in recovery because this practice can help them in avoiding depressing thoughts and problems. It can also be a natural alternative to anti-anxiety medications.

6. Develop new connections

When you meet new people, you get the opportunity to learn from these people, have a support network, and develop positive relationships. You can find new friends by engaging in new hobbies like enrolling in a skill class, pursuing a new hobby, or by forging new connections online.

7. Pay it forward

When you pay it forward, it means doing acts that can help other people improve their lives. This does not only benefit the person you are helping but it also helps you be a part of a community, improve your life satisfaction, confidence, and self-esteem. It also adds purpose to your life.

If you think that you are not financially stable to start helping people, remember that such acts are not only limited to giving away material things. You can also devote your time and your skills by volunteering in different community events.

If you or a loved one is struggling with substance abuse, help is available.

Contact Lighthouse Treatment Center today.