Posted by Steps to Recovery on December 18th, 2012

When I was in my active addiction, I really resisted having a set routine. Even in the beginning of early recovery, I tried to avoid getting on a routine aside from my groups and classes through my program. (And of course sometimes I resisted going to classes and groups.) I didn’t believe it supported my desire to be a free individual, open to doing whatever I wanted when I wanted. After all, I was an adult, so that was my right…Right? What I eventually learned is that routine was absolutely necessary for me to really do my recovery work, and actually helped me in many ways. Here are some of the ways I found routine helped me get really solid in my recovery.

Stability – When you decide to start recovery, one thing that is very important to achieve as soon as possible is stability. A little at a time, routine in recovery can help you become more stable. When you begin to become more stable, employment will become easier because you will be more reliable and self motivated, relationships with family, friends and loved ones will become less strained because you won’t be so unpredictable and it will become easier to take care of yourself. You will be better able to handle your responsibilities and fulfill your duties to yourself and others. The components of your routine in recovery should include self care, caring for your family if you have one, paying your bills consistently, cleaning and household chores and all the things you need to do to be a capable and well functioning individual. Everyone and everything greatly benefits from you having a supportive routine…You, your family, friends and loved ones, your job and your recovery.

Responsibility – Sticking to your routine in recovery will prepare you to take on more responsibility. You will learn how to manage your time better, stay more focused, prioritize the things you need to do and etc. Having a routine can help you increase your productivity and help you build self confidence as you see yourself managing your time and responsibility more easily and effortlessly over time. These things impress the people around you and let them know you are reliable and working hard to continue to more forward, and ready to take on more responsibility. This is great for home life and especially for work. As you take on more responsibility, you can look toward promotions and making more money. That’s a bonus for anyone!

Here are just 2 reasons routine is so important in recovery. There are many more, stay tuned for a few others to add to the list tomorrow!