Curb Impulsivity With Routine
Addiction is an illness that inherently comes with impulsive behavior. In fact, you might even say that addiction is synonymous with impulsivity. For instance, let’s say you’re not feeling well emotionally because of a situation at work. You come home and you’re still thinking about it.
Suddenly, you have a desire to drink, and the alcohol helps you take your mind off things. The choice to drink and to have your emotional needs met right there and then drives the impulsivity.
However it’s that impulsivity that can drive an entire addiction. If you simply can’t hold off on drinking or using drugs because the internal turmoil is too great, addiction will eventually set in. When a person decides to get sober, one way to curb that impulsivity is to establish a daily routine which can provide a sense of structure, safety, and security.
A Set Schedule Can Also Provide the Following Benefits
- Provides a person with familiarity
- Helps keep one organized
- Provides a sense of ownership and order to your life
- Helps makes sense of the world and of life
- Saves time on having to schedule every day
- Provides direction in life
- Empowers a person to stay active versus getting stuck
- Promotes decision making about what to do and when to do it
- Prevents getting stuck in life
- Helps build positive and healthy habits
- Increases a person’s efficiency
- Negates the need for willpower
- Builds positive momentum
- Promotes skill building and self care
Schedules Support Stability
Another reason why a set schedule is important in recovery from addiction is that it supports stability. It’s common for those struggling with addiction to have instability in their lives. For example, some addicts are homeless, jobless, or without family to rely on. They might not have any income at all and struggle with meeting their basic needs. This instability can be hard on someone and it can become a contributing factor to their addiction.
However, a set schedule can help create stability in a person’s life. With a routine, a person knows where they’re going and when. If you’re someone who has experienced plenty of instability, then suddenly having a schedule in your life might feel stifling. It might feel like you’re locking yourself in to an experience you don’t want to have.
However, if you’re able to stick with a schedule that’s been set up for you, it might turn out to be beneficial. For instance, many sober living homes and residential facilities have a set structure for their residents. And that structure is meant to be a part of the healing. It’s meant to create feelings of security and safety.
Create a Routine For Yourself
If you’re in recovery and you notice that you’re feeling unsafe, confused, or lost in your day, perhaps creating more structure in your life can help. In fact, with small children, structure is a primary way for helping them develop a strong sense of self. Routine actually supports their psychological well being. The same is true for adults!
Create a schedule for yourself that promotes responsibility, health, and self care.
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