Put Optimism to Work: Using Positivity as a Recovery Tool
People have long thought that optimism and choosing to be positive in the face of whatever life throws at you can yield significant results in a person’s life. And a recent Inc.com article seemingly confirms that train of thought.
According to the article, a person’s happiness and success in life can be attributed to one mental trait: optimism. And just like an optimistic mindset can help entrepreneurs and leaders, positivity also plays an important role in addiction recovery.
Using Positivity as a Recovery Tool
In fact, positivity is one of the most powerful tools in addiction recovery. Not only can it improve a person’s mental and physical well-being, it can also greatly increase your chances of staying clean and sober.
Positive thinking combats “stinking thinking,” a term used to describe how people in recovery can revert back to their old patterns and negative ways of thinking. (This can be in the form of blaming others, exhibiting a grandiose sense of self, or being pessimistic about the future).
By entertaining positive thoughts rather than negative ones, the way you perceive situations starts to change. And that means you’ll start feeling happier and more confident about your current circumstances. If you focus on all the positive things in your life, you’ll attract more positivity, and this will ultimately help you achieve your desired outcome – sobriety – and decrease your risk of relapse.
How to Make Positivity Part of Your Daily Routine
Using positivity as a recovery tool comes down to a choice, and it’s a way of thinking that may not come naturally. But there are actions you can incorporate into your daily routine that can help you develop and strengthen this way of thinking.
These include:
- Assess your social network. Spending too much time with negative people can be draining and can break us down. If we allow ourselves to wallow in negativity too long, it can sour the way we view ourselves and the world around us. On the flip side, spending time with positive people can be uplifting and energizing. That’s why 12-Steppers regularly say those in recovery need to “stick with the winners.” This means that you need to find the people in your life who radiate positivity and inspire you to be the best version of yourself, then stick by those people and glean everything you can from them!
- Get involved in the community and give back. Serving others who may be less fortunate is a wonderful way to help develop a better outlook on life. Addiction keeps us trapped in a self-absorbed mentality, where we believe that life revolves around us. By giving us opportunities to look outside ourselves, we are able to connect with others and feel good about the work we’re doing. Helping others also increases self-esteem because it makes us feel valued and useful.
- Improve your outlook by meditating. Mindful meditation is something that is used by people from all walks of life. It can help us de-clutter the mind, stop thinking about the past, and start focusing on the future. It also encourages us to take time for self-care each day, so that we can focus on breathing and the energy we are exuding.
- Get out a notepad and start journaling. Psychologist and best-selling author Shawn Achor states we can rewire our brains to be happier and more optimistic by spending two minutes a day writing down three new things we are grateful for. This simple exercise trains our minds to focus on the positives, rather than the “threats” we experienced on any given day. He also recommends spending two minutes daily journaling about one positive experience in the past 24 hours. This allows our brains to relive that experience, then teaches our brain that the behavior matters.
Make Positivity an Essential Practice in Your Recovery
Remember, everyone experiences bumps in the road from time to time, especially while in recovery. But what really matters is how we respond to each situation and the outlook we possess.
Even if we can’t change the circumstances of our lives, we can always choose to be positive…and use that positivity as a recovery tool.
That alone can make a world of difference.
If you or someone you love is experiencing a substance use disorder, help is available. Call 888-647-0051 (Who Answers?) today to speak with a treatment specialist.
