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How to Stay Motivated in Long-Term Recovery

Addiction is a chronic and progressive disease that requires long-term maintenance to stay sober. While completing an addiction treatment program is a huge accomplishment, it is only the first step in a lifetime journey of personal improvement. Sometimes, you might feel less motivated to keep up with the tasks that help you stay sober.

Once you start prioritizing other things over your recovery, you are beginning to walk down a slippery slope. Without support groups, connections with other sober individuals, and consistent therapy, you might become tempted to drink alcohol or use drugs again. As a result, staying motivated in your recovery is extremely important.

But how do you keep your recovery motivation high when life throws you curveballs?

There are many ways to improve your motivation to stay sober. Some examples include celebrating milestones, having a strong support network to rely on, keeping a daily schedule that prevents complacency, using daily affirmations, and more.

In this article, you will learn:

  • Why it is important to maintain motivation in recovery
  • How to keep your motivation and spirits high as a sober individual
  • How each self-care tactic can increase your motivation and solidify your sobriety

Maintaining Motivation in Addiction Recovery

There are two main types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic motivation is wanting to do something for internal reward or simply because you enjoy the activity. Extrinsic motivation is wanting to participate in something because it offers external rewards or prevents you from experiencing punishments or consequences.

When we talk about maintaining motivation in sobriety, we are mainly discussing extrinsic motivation. You have to keep up with practicing self-care and participating in addiction recovery techniques to avoid a relapse and maintain long-term success. Thankfully, there are plenty of different ways to maintain your motivation even during difficult times.

To maintain your motivation in long-term recovery, you should:

Celebrate Milestones

A great way to stay motivated in your recovery is to celebrate every milestone. At the beginning of your recovery journey, you probably celebrated each new day that you stayed sober. Now that you are farther along, you might be celebrating less frequently.

By celebrating milestones like one year of sobriety, 18 months, two years, and so on, you will keep yourself motivated to march on. It is important to remember that each new day that you are sober is a huge accomplishment.

Solidify a Support Network

Addiction is not a condition that you can overcome by yourself. You need to have a community of support to rally behind you when you are feeling down. By having a solid support network, you will have friends and family members with you during each step of your journey.

Having a community to rely on means you will have meaningful connections with others who know what you are going through. Having these people in your life will help you stay focused on what matters the most.

Have Small Goals

While it is always great to dream big, sometimes having larger goals can make you feel overwhelmed. As a result, it is always good to focus on small, achievable goals. By having small things to achieve and overcome, you will keep yourself motivated to continue moving forward.

Examples of small goals you can set include:

  • Maintaining attendance of a certain amount of recovery support groups each week
  • Sticking to a therapy schedule for a certain amount of time
  • Keeping a healthy sleeping schedule every night
  • Taking care of your physical and mental health consistently with self-care techniques
  • Starting a new job or going back to school
  • Meeting a certain amount of time sober, such as six months or one year

Create a Daily Schedule

Having a daily schedule to stick to will keep you accountable and offer a way for you to stay motivated. For example, once you realize you are meeting all of your responsibilities and taking time for self-care each day, you will want to continue improving.

When creating a daily schedule, you should include tasks that need to be done each day, time to attend work or school and a portion of the day where you can focus on self-care.

Use Daily Affirmations

Staying motivated in addiction recovery is not always easy. Sometimes you feel overwhelmed, stressed, or simply fatigued. You might want to just lie down and forget about all of your responsibilities.

When you are feeling down, one of the best ways to motivate yourself is to use affirmations. Instead of allowing negative self-talk, you should compliment yourself and give yourself words of encouragement. You can even say your affirmations out loud and in front of a mirror, or write them on sticky notes that you will see when you wake up each morning.

Continue Therapy

Lastly, sometimes a lack of motivation is related to mental health struggles. You might deal with depression, anxiety, or even conditions like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Whatever is behind your motivation struggles, therapy is the best way to deal with it.

In addition to improving your motivation, regular therapy will help you remain sober. If you are dealing with triggers, stressful situations, or memories from a traumatic past, therapy can ensure that you have the support you need to maintain sobriety.

Get Connected to a Top-Rated Drug and Alcohol Rehab Program

If you or a loved one struggles with addiction, it’s time to seek professional help. At the Mandala Healing Center, we offer evidence-based behavioral therapy, peer support, and relapse prevention planning to ensure you achieve long-term recovery.

Contact us today for more information on our highly-rated drug and alcohol rehab program.