There are several ways to think about a hammer. For example, Adam Savage of Mythbusters fame (an inspiration for a series of our blog entries) titled his memoir Every Tool’s a Hammer. On the other hand, in the 1960s, Abraham Maslow (drawing from a thought by Abraham Kaplan) wrote, “it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.”
A fair reading of Maslow’s point is that if you only have one tool, you have limited your options for problem solving. And that might mean there are certain problems or challenges that you are ill-equipped to deal with when they arise.
That can happen to a person in recovery from a substance use disorder, too. You might become overly reliant on a specific “tool” for maintaining your sobriety. For example, you might assume that if you are regularly attending 12-Step or other recovery program meetings, you are hammering away at maintaining your sobriety.
But regular attendance at meetings might not, in fact, be enough to help you stay sober. That is why it is important to have a metaphorical toolbox with a range of tools inside. That way you can always pull out the right tool at the right time to help you address issues as they arise.
Let’s look at three tools that can serve you well in recovery.
It is Good to Have Goals in Recovery
It probably goes without saying that your number one goal in recovery is to maintain your sobriety. But other goals can serve as good tools for fending off temptations that might upend your recovery.
For example, if you set a goal to earn a promotion at your job, that objective is something you can remind yourself of when cravings arise. You are far more likely to achieve your goal if you stay sober. And the work you put in to pursue that goal can offer a sense of ongoing satisfaction and help you stay focused on the positive rather than the negative in your life. Those things also support your sobriety.
The key to setting useful goals is to ensure that your aim is achievable—and then to define the steps you can take to keep moving in the right direction. There may be setbacks, but keeping your overall goal in mind can help you stay centered and sober as you work toward it.
Think about some goals you might have for your own life—and remind yourself that your hard-won sobriety makes those goals far more achievable than they were when you were under the influence of drugs or alcohol. (You can find more information and ideas about goal setting here.)
Routines can be Right for Recovery
If you think of substance use as a bad habit that was undermining your life in many ways, you can also think of good habits as a way to improve the likelihood that you will stay sober.
We have already mentioned one good habit: Going to recovery meetings regularly. But there are all kinds of other habitual behaviors that can have a positive impact on your recovery. For example, building strong and healthy routines around eating, sleeping, and exercising can provide a real boost to your ongoing recovery efforts.
Finding the meaningful behaviors and activities that can support your sobriety over time can take a little trial and error, but as you settle into some good habits, you may well find that they become an important part of developing and maintaining your physical health, your mental well-being, and your sobriety.
Finding Flexibility can be Beneficial in Recovery
When you read the word “flexibility,” you might have thought we were going to focus on the benefits of something like yoga in recovery. While it is certainly the case that we think yoga can be a useful practice in recovery (one of those good habits we wrote about above), we have something else in mind here.
Sometimes our goals and our routines can start to feel a little confining. And when that happens, it can be good to open yourself up to the idea of being flexible from time to time.
Here is an example: Setting and sticking to a regular bedtime is actually a great idea for your health and sobriety. But let’s imagine that you have been invited to a concert with some close friends—friends who support your sobriety and whose company you always enjoy. It might be tempting to stick to your routine and skip the concert. But sometimes a bit better move is to add some flexibility to your approach. After all, spending time with friends doing things you enjoy also supports your sobriety and well-being.
Remembering that you have the option to be flexible opens up a world of possibilities that may be just want you need to shore up your sobriety in the moment. Give yourself grace and permission when those moments arrive.
Let’s Get to Work Getting You Sober
At The Aviary Recovery Center, located near St. Louis, Missouri, we have the tools—and the expertise—necessary to help you regain your sobriety and begin your recovery journey with confidence. When you’re ready to make a change, we’re ready to get to work.
