It’s that time of the year; when people throughout the world decide various goals they would like to set and accomplish during the upcoming New Year. New Year’s resolutions help people to reflect on their own life and furthermore, determine various ways on which they can improve different aspects. People choose to change the way things are at this time because the New Year represents a fresh start and clean slate.

For individuals who may be struggling with an addiction or those in recovery, the New Year is a fantastic time to set goals and make new positive choices for the near future. Let’s face it; though making resolutions is one thing, sticking to them is another matter. Something so important as deciding to quit drinking or using, getting treatment, going to more recovery meetings, etc. are all great resolutions, but how does one stick by them, let’s take a look.

Specify Your Resolution

Many addicts may make their New Year’s resolution something like, “I will quit drinking” or “I will go to extra recovery meetings”. This is a great start, but making the resolution more specific will defiantly help the person achieve success. Instead of a vague statement, try “I will no longer drink beginning on January 1, 2012 and begin treatment on the 2nd” or “I will go to a recovery meeting on Mon., Wed., and Fri. from now on.”

Write Your Resolutions Down

Treatment teaches addicts to write things down; so just as someone would write down their recovery goals and achievements down, writing out New Year’s resolutions can be one step closer to a positive outcome. Begin by writing down simple steps on how to achieve each resolution. Once this has been done, place these goals in a visible spot (or multiple areas) where they can be seen every day. By planning it out, one is able to stay positive, more focused and on track.

Keep Out the Doubt

Negative feelings such as doubt, fear, anxiety is common, but keeping them off the mind are important. Turn the “I can’t” attitude into an “I can” or “I will” attitude. Any kind of negative statements will only cause self sabotage and will slow any progress that has been made so far. If and when any negative thoughts come about, take control, and turn them into positive healthy thoughts.

Find Support

Finding someone to support your New Year’s resolutions and help keep you on track, such as a friend, family member, therapist, or sponsor. Talk to this supporter about the goals often; discuss challenges that have come up and all progress that has been made.

Reward Yourself

Sometimes people find it beneficial to develop a reward system to implement when they have accomplished a resolution. A nice dinner out or an outing to the movies are both simple examples, but nice rewards that can help a person stick to their plan and stay on the right path.

Relax

Stress, anxiety, and any other overwhelming feelings can cause a person to slip. In order to avoid this delay, try putting aside a certain amount of time each and every day to look within and relax. Breathing exercises, meditation, walking, or even a hot bath are all great methods to find a still calmness that can help anyone bring themselves one step closer to achieving their New Year’s resolution.

Need Treatment? We Are Here for You

Perhaps, your New Year’s resolution is to get treatment for a drug or alcohol addiction; if so, contact The Cabin Chiang Mai today. We can help you to achieve your goal, allowing you to live a happier, healthier, and fulfilled life.

The Cabin Chiang Mai would like to wish all of our readers a very Happy New Year.