The first 30 days of your recovery can be very complex, with a lot of challenges. It starts with your withdrawal symptoms and detox as your body starts to adjust to life without substances and ends with ongoing treatment and, for many, a return to normalcy.
As you move through the first 30 days of your recovery, you will struggle with physical and mental cravings and difficulty staying strong in the face of hopelessness, guilt, shame, or regret. It’s not uncommon for people to face a lot of emotional challenges when they realize the impact that addiction has had on things like family, relationships, health, jobs, or even personal possessions.
Navigating Early Recovery
So, how can you navigate these stages successfully?
Stay Occupied
It is far too easy to be overwhelmed by these feelings or these challenges when you have nothing to occupy your day. Moreover, as the fog associated with substance abuse diminishes, it can be overwhelming to be left alone with your thoughts.
To that end, it is good to stay occupied in a healthy and forward-moving fashion. If you are in any type of rehab program during your first 30 days, you will be exposed to goal setting and day planning whereby you fill your day with regular activities like:
- Journaling
- Walking
- Socialization
- Therapy
- Yoga or exercise
- Meditation
These can all help you avoid being overwhelmed and stay mindful of the present moment instead of letting feelings like guilt or shame from the past or anxiety about the future overtake you.
The first 30 days of your recovery are about taking things one day at a time, working on the things within your control.
Stay Slow
As you are focusing on things one day at a time, it’s important that you take every part of your recovery slowly. The goal is to build a solid foundation during these first 30 days not to rapidly make major life changes and upend everything.
As that brain fog starts to diminish and you start to feel physically better, you might want to set goals like moving into a new home or starting a new career, but the most important thing during your first 30 days is to focus entirely on your recovery.
There will be tools and tips provided during your treatment plan to help with setting and meeting goals, but those are things that should be dealt with after you have achieved personal growth.
Build a Support Network
The first thirty days of your recovery are an important time for building a support network. You will need support from others as part of your recovery plan and long-term sustainability.
This comes in the form of support groups, friends and family. During early recovery, participation in regular support groups and group meetings is a critical part to sustaining sober relationships, overcoming feelings of isolation, and learning from others who have been through similar circumstances before.
Tip: Get in the habit of regularly connecting with someone you know who understands your situation. friends and family might be well intentioned but might not know what to say whereas someone from your recovery group or in a support group might be the perfect person to call.
Exercise Regularly
When you enter into a rehab program, you will find that exercise is a regular part of your daily routine, and for good reason. For example:
Addiction can cause individuals to go several days without eating or without eating properly, and meanwhile fill the body with toxins. At the same time, addiction makes it so that you don’t dedicate time to proper exercise, which means you lose muscle mass, strength, agility, flexibility, and a range of other benefits.
With time, this causes individuals to be malnourished, weak, and have compromised immune health. This, in turn, changes the brain, alters mood, and leads to feelings of low energy, fatigue, depression, and anxiety.
However, exercise’s effect on mental health reverses all of this by releasing good hormones that regulate things like:
- Hunger
- Immune function
- Strength
- Sleep
- Mood
When you exercise regularly in recovery, you will notice a difference in how you feel during the day, how you feel after you exercise, what foods you crave, and how well you sleep. You will even notice it is easier to fight off diseases.
Navigating Early Recovery with Multi-Concept Recovery
At Multi-Concept Recovery, our addiction treatment programs come in many lengths with a variety of outpatient options that have flexible scheduling. No matter the schedule you choose, we work with you to help you get through your first 30 days with as many difficulties as possible, providing you with the tools you need to detox safely, the support you need to set intentional schedules and incorporate regular exercise, and more.
Call our team today to get help with your addiction and navigate the first 30 days.
