These days, everyone seems to want to sell you the answer to all your problems. They offer ways to improve your financial situation, work on your relationships, manage stress, or start eating healthy. No matter what your struggle is, there are hundreds of self-help books, movies, and programs that promise a solution. During recovery from addiction, you are likely to need help improving your life in several areas. Sometimes, self-help programs can be useful in this regard. However, deciding what will benefit you the most and identifying what could potentially cause you harm is crucial when navigating the self-help world.
Follow Your Intuition
If you have begun exploring the self-help world, you may soon find yourself confused and overwhelmed. These programs offer an immense amount of conflicting information, and it’s not always easy to apply these concepts to your daily life. The truth is that only you know what you need to change to find happiness. You must listen to your intuition when determining what kind of self-help you can most benefit from. By being honest with yourself about your past shortcomings, you can stay focused on one significant change at a time. For example, if your relationships have suffered due to substance abuse, start by immersing yourself in self-help that guides you on this journey. If the majority of your stress comes from financial issues, begin by seeking advice for eliminating debt and creating a savings plan. You should avoid implementing several self-help techniques at once. This increases the likelihood that you will become overwhelmed and quit them all at once.
Keep an Open Mind
For self-help techniques to work the way they should, you must approach new ideas with an open and receptive attitude. Self-help strategies often involve practices, concepts, habits, and spiritual perspectives that may be brand new to you. While you don’t need to subscribe to everything you read or hear, it is helpful to retain an open mind. There is more to life than what you can understand from your limited perspective. Ancient wisdom and brand new ideas alike may hold the key to self-improvement. However, it is equally important to realize that every individual is different. A technique that works for one person might not work for the next.
Be Wary of Grand Promises
While self-help can be very useful, it is not a magic cure-all. Any book or program that promises to solve every problem in your life is probably a farce. While being open to new ideas and approaches to life is essential, you must also retain a healthy skepticism in the self-help world. You should understand that any self-help strategy worth your time will require just that: time. The Twelve Steps are one example of self-help that has been proven successful many times over. Still, they do not promise an easy fix or an overnight solution.
Put Mindfulness First
Mindfulness is a practice that allows you to become rooted in the present moment. It prevents you from dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. Over time, it can reduce stress and help you to enjoy even the smallest things in life. Naturally, there are many variations of mindfulness practices. This technique has been found in almost every religion and shown through research to provide physical and emotional benefits. Practicing mindfulness through meditation, yoga, or any other way that works for you will have a positive effect on nearly every aspect of your life. If you find the self-help world too complicated and overwhelming, mindfulness is a great place to start. Downloading a meditation app or reading a book on beginners’ meditation can help you begin to implement this powerful practice in daily life, as can traditional yoga classes.
Take a Break
If you find yourself deeply immersed in the self-help world, but suddenly feel overwhelmed, it might be a good idea to take a step back. Addiction recovery requires focus and clarity. Crowding your mind with too many concepts and supposed words of wisdom can leave you feeling cloudy and bogged down. Going on a self-help cleanse can help you to assess your priorities and come back with a more defined intention for success.
If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction and mental health issues, now is the
time to reach out for help. At Burning Tree, you will find knowledgeable and compassionate
professionals that structure treatment to fit individual needs, including the identification of co-
occurring disorders. Through accountability and commitment to the 12 steps, each client will
develop the tools to create a sober lifestyle and find lasting recovery. We specialize in the treatment
of chronic relapsers and believe with the right support you can experience true and permanent
healing. For more information, call us now at 866-287-2877.
