Hope is a feeling of trust and desire for something to happen, such as healing, as you begin to experience recovery and feel your innate wholeness. It is also what gets you through the hard times in recovery from substance use and mental illness. When times are tough and you struggle to see the light at the end of the tunnel, there are ways to access hope during your recovery journey.
Focusing on What’s Going Well
During healing journeys, it can be easy to lose sight of what is going well. Your inner critic can be ruthless in pointing out where you are failing. Therefore you must begin to lean into and focus on what is going well instead of what is going wrong.
Examining what is not going well in your life is helpful in some respects because it can lead you to make changes for the better. It is also just as important to focus on what is going well to shed light on how far you have come to cultivate self-trust, acceptance, and confidence. This gives you hope that things are working and there is more improvement to come.
Celebrating Your Wins
Recognizing and celebrating your wins—even when you feel like you have a long way to go—can be another way to access hope when recovery feels challenging. It can be comforting to remember there is not a destination to your healing, nor is it linear. This is easy to forget, which is why it is even more critical you consciously remember and embody this truth.
As you focus on what is going well, you can begin to notice the small and big wins you experience each day. Celebrating your wins, big or small, gives you a much-needed confidence boost. Acknowledging that all the effort you have made and all the challenges you have overcome can remind you that this process is worth it. Doing so may feel challenging, but it is the very thing that will foster a deeper belief in yourself to continue doing hard things and reaping the reward of hard-earned recovery.
Recovery from substance use and mental illness is not linear. It has good days and bad days and takes dedication, commitment, and hope. It also requires you to celebrate where you are at, not just where you want to be.
Committing to your recovery is a courageous and hard decision to make that leads to freedom. At times, recovery may feel hard, so it is important to celebrate your wins and focus on what is working along the way. Â At Avalon Malibu, we understand how difficult it can be to let go of what is no longer serving you to make space for what will. Our team of professionals is here to support you as you commit to your healing. Call Avalon Malibu today at (844) 857-5992.
