Setting Resolutions for the New Year

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For many, the start of a new year is a fresh start… a time for reflection, new direction, and attention on goals. With each turn of the year, people want to improve upon areas of their life, such as wellness, enjoy more new experiences, and engage in more community involvement or causes.

Wanting something better for ourselves is a commonality shared across the board. And while a lot of people create resolutions with little to no plan to help them stay on track, there are some ways you can create achievable New Year goals for yourself.

5 Ways to Make Realistic Goals for the Coming Year

Progressing through drug or alcohol recovery is a courageous journey and it can prove beneficial to revisit the reasons behind sobriety and goals. Needs can change and reflection can help serve as a guide. This mindfulness can help eliminate distractions and emphasize new priorities. The following can lead the way to making attainable goals for the new year.

Stay connected with a support system

Any point of the year can create tension, however, the holiday season can supply an overwhelming amount of stress. Family relationships may feel strained and may create a sense of isolation or discomfort. Stay connected to a sober support system that you trust and can be yourself. When you take time and connect with a community, it can lessen feelings of loneliness and remove some of the mental baggage.

Create positive thoughts and action

You are what you think. Negative thinking patterns can diminish self-value and worth. This can devastate the mindset and affect emotional well-being. Positive thinking can help improve the mind’s reaction to our own chatter and what we hear from others. This emotional resilience can strengthen our sense of self and value and help us bounce back from setbacks without beating ourselves up.

Hold accountability

Accountability for one’s actions brings freedom but can prove a challenge from time to time. Although a difficult practice, accountability is an essential component of recovery. With accountability, people can meet challenges with personal motivation. This intrinsic desire is a powerful tool for abstaining from drugs and alcohol. People can also lean on family and friends. These accountability partners can help you stay on course.

Practice gratitude

It’s easy to get lost in the noise of everyday life. Negative thinking can get in the way of sobriety and shows up as resentment… everything is wrong, if only _____ would happen, I could finally be happy. When people practice gratitude, the focus from frustration shifts to appreciation. And you don’t need to only show gratitude for others around you. Show yourself appreciation, forgive, and learn to love yourself. When you can appreciate and love yourself, you can show up in ways you only imagined.

Experience new adventure

An established routine provides a solid foundation for sobriety. Be sure to make new adventures part of your program. Discovering new hobbies, making new like-minded friends, and exploring can get rid of the doldrums and provide some excitement and joy in life. Take a trip, sign up for a class, take up a sport, or catch a movie. Make it simple or elaborate. The focus is making a step towards a joyful life free from alcohol and drugs.

Dispel the New Year’s Resolution Myth

Tired of making meaningless resolutions year after year? Make a plan your way and give it a new spin. Motivational speaker Tony Robbins, defines the differences between resolutions and well thought plans to create lasting change. With a clear objective in mind, people can create a doable process that documents the why and how, measures success, and how to face setbacks head on. Get rid of the term “New Year resolution” altogether and own it with your own phrase such as, “Me but Better”, “My Motivation”, or “Soft Launch 2022”.

Pura Vida Drug and Alcohol Rehab in Santa Rosa CA

Need help to get started on your journey free from drugs and alcohol? Pura Vida Recovery Services provides a holistic approach customized to meet the needs of men and women struggling with drug and alcohol misuse.

As an outpatient program, PVRS can make recovery a possibility for your new year. All services are evidence-based and include treatment programs such as CBT Therapy, Trauma Informed Therapy, and individual and group therapy sessions for men and women.

To learn more about Pura Vida services or supervised medical detox, contact our staff and we can provide you with further information about treatment services and intake and admissions process. PVRS accepts several insurance plans and offers several financing options, in addition to scholarship opportunities for qualified individuals.

Discover a new year without drugs and alcohol with Pura Vida Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation in Santa Rosa, CA.