How do you find your center? Your tips for balancing life in recovery

@kelseyt
Those are great questions. In my experience, after recovering from a addiction there is a "New Normal" . If you used for a long time your new life is not going to be same as past life.

When I was in treatment, the counselor often talked about the addictive brain. Not the physical changes part, it is the voice that tries to convince you it is OK to use. That is the voice that can interfere with my recovery, balance, new normal.

How does your balance look now in recovery?
For me, when in recovery, my balance includes more healthy activities, more time to volunteer, and more time to take care of myself and others. And most important it is not listening to my addition trying to tell me it is OK to use. As time goes by, that voice is easier to resist.

How can you tell when you are becoming off balance (at risk of using)?
I have two ways I get off balance:
1st - an unexpected event. This can be a death, relationship change or any stressful event. It interferes with my routine. My addictive mind tries to tell me it is OK to use because of event. It is then I have to go back to the tools that worked in past. Everyone is different, it may be meetings, sponsor, therapist, talk to friend or journaling. What helped in past will probably help again.

2nd - slower more gradual change in balance. I think this is sometimes harder to recognize and handle. I have had times when things going great and I let myself make small changes in a balance routine. Again it is addictive brain that tells me it is OK, you are doing great so you can handle this. The small changes become bigger changes and then I am at risk of being off balance. It is important to recognize small changes and not let them creep into bigger changes.

In my case, it is VERY important to recognize my triggers, that is what throws me off balance.

Hope people will share what balance looks to them and how to keep so can learn from each other.

Physical activity such as walking and gaining certification in Peer Strengthing and Peer Support has allowed me to focus on positive issues. Boredom is dangerous in recovery for many. However, it must be faced. Facing boredom as a challenge to overcome the discomfort of wanting to use, is in itself an exercise. Instead of finding something to busy my time, in an effort to thwart unhealthy urges, I use this time to rewire thoughts with neuroplasticity exercises. I now enjoy boredom. It's my time to think of only what I wish to think of. No interference or outside intrusion into my thoughts. Just me, myself, and I discussing positive thoughts. Deliberate positive thoughts and affirmation used repetitively throughout the day replace negative ones. Alcohol drugs and nicotine no longer control me. I can be around people still active in addiction with zero urges to use. Helping others in their addiction helps me see the insanity that dependency can bring. I see in others myself. Therefore I can instill hope in them because I am one of them. I used no program to quit other than quitting cold turkey. The secret is knowing that the addiction was in me and not the drug. I tried 12 steps, smart recovery, religion and researched other programs, and found the common denominator was always me. I decided I needed nothing more than myself in order to control myself. When I hear people say not everyone can do that I shudder. Because I believe everyone can. If I can do this after drinking a fifth of vodka a day for decades, so can anyone.