As New Year’s Eve approaches, many individuals will follow the long time tradition of setting a New Year’s Resolution. Some people will choose to lose weight, quit smoking, drink more water, limit alcohol consumption, spend less, exercise more frequently, or get and stay organized. The new year seems like a perfect starting point to ditch bad habits and create better ones. Sticking to a New Year’s Resolution will be harder for some people than it is for others. For anyone struggling with a substance use disorder, simply stating they will give up alcohol and drugs come January 1, 2022, is not that easy. More than half the people that set a New Year’s Resolution will fail. Some will even make it to the 90-day mark, but you don’t have to be one of those people. We have included some helpful tips below to help you achieve your New Year, New You goals below.
7 Helpful Resolution Ideas to Help You Achieve Your New Year’s Resolution
1. One Goal at a Time- One Day at a Time:
Be realistic in setting goals for your New Year’s Resolution. If your main goal is to become sober from alcohol or free of drug addiction, then don’t give up smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee at the same time. The main goal of becoming sober is challenging enough that the compilation of the other items will make the original goal overwhelming and unattainable. It is also essential to take it one day at a time, and recovery is a lifelong journey. Even one day sober is a huge accomplishment. Don’t look at the 30, 60, 90-day goal because it will seem far off and diminish your current achievements. Take each day one day at a time and be proud of the fact that you’ve made it each additional day after January 1.
2. Create A Plan:
Addiction is a treatable disease. However, it isn’t straightforward to treat on your own. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, “treating chronic diseases involves changing deeply rooted behaviors.” These profoundly rooted behaviors need to be addressed to achieve long-term recovery. Effective drug and alcohol treatment programs are designed to get to the underlying issues leading to addictive behaviors. Depending on your own individual needs, you could benefit from alcohol and drug detox, inpatient residential treatment, individual or group therapy, alcoholics anonymous, narcotics anonymous, or outpatient addiction treatment services.
3. Start with a Small Step:
This first step towards achieving your recovery goal could be researching an addiction treatment program near you, finding a 12 step program in your area, or making a phone call to get more information on how to begin your path to recovery. A small step is also detoxing your home of alcoholic beverages, drugs, or paraphernalia like syringes, needles, or pipes used to consume drugs. The more you remove these items from your home and life, the better off you will be. Another small step is committing that you will not drink alcohol or use drugs just for today. You can also speak to your friends and family about your addiction and your New Year’s Resolution goal. Having a team to support you during your recovery is a small step in the right direction.
4. Attend an NA or AA Meeting:
AA and NA are both great places to find support during your recovery. They both contain individuals struggling with similar issues and striving to achieve a life free from addiction just like you. It’s also a place to go when you feel like you might abandon your New Year’s Resolution. Hearing the stories of others who have achieved long-term recovery will help keep you on the path of sobriety towards long-term recovery yourself. It’s good to recognize that you’re not alone, and you’re not the only one struggling with alcoholism or drug addiction, the individuals within these meetings achieved their goal of long-term recovery and you can too!
5. Follow Sober Accounts on Social Media:
Following sober social media accounts to inspire and motivate you. Some of these accounts will provide helpful tips on staying sober or activities you can participate in sober. It’s also a great way to get recovery reading recommendations or another incredible resource such as recovery podcasts. Peer support throughout recovery is essential. These are all great ways to achieve peer support outside treatment centers and 12 step meetings.
6. Start a Daily Gratitude Journal:
Starting each morning with a positive thought or a reminder of what you are grateful for is a huge help in maintaining your sobriety and New Year’s Resolution. Having a positive attitude and outlook when approaching recovery is extremely important. On days where you feel challenged by your addiction, it is easy to trick yourself into thinking abstaining from drugs and alcohol hasn’t benefited you in any way. Keeping a journal is an excellent way to document all the things you’ve accomplished or hope to accomplish by continuing to abstain from drugs and alcohol. Remember, we are all creatures of habit, and to achieve long-term recovery, we need to change existing habits and create more positive ones.
7. Enroll in a Treatment Program:
There is no time like the present. If your goal is to achieve long-term recovery, then let’s do it. Looking for a treatment center can be difficult, especially when you are unsure what to look for in a facility. Some of the most important things to look for in an addiction treatment center are licensed addiction professionals, evidence-based treatment, and accreditation by The Joint Commission. Once you’ve found a treatment center that checks all those boxes, then you need to decide what your needs are, such as a detox center, luxury inpatient residential treatment options, medication-assisted treatment, holistic therapy, and behavioral therapy. You will also need to decide which type of rehab you are looking for a private rehab facility or a public rehab facility. One of the most significant differences in public vs. private is that public rehab treatment options and bed availability are limited since the government funds a public rehab. In a private rehab facility, they often spend more time updating and making modifications to their treatment programs and provide a more thorough assortment of educational classes and a broader array of therapies and holistic therapy options.
If you are looking to achieve your New Year’s Resolution of getting sober from alcohol and drugs, give our Avatar Alcohol and Drug Detox Center a call today at (973)-774-7222. Our Admissions Counselors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to verify your insurance, answer all questions and begin the admissions process. Avatar’s Admissions Counselors can discuss your specific needs and provide you with details about what our unique programs entail.
