Establishing a Healthy Routine in Recovery

Establishing and maintaining healthy routines helps bring a certain sense of stability and consistency into your life. This is especially important during your recovery. Many treatment programs initiate a structured routine so that way it’s harder to veer off course and fall back into old habits. In fact, statistics show that the more structured someone’s routine is during recovery, the less likely they are to relapse.

If you’ve never really followed a routine before, it might be difficult to know where to start. Luckily, we have some activities that you can incorporate into your daily routine for a healthy lifestyle. But first, it’s important to understand why routines are so important and the different ways they can help you.

Why routines are important in recovery

When you follow a routine, there is no time to be bored, and being bored is what can cause you to slip back into old and unhealthy patterns. This will also give you a sense of purpose. You know what’s on your plate each day to set out and achieve so there is no guesswork involved.  

 

A routine can also help calm any anxieties that may pop up throughout the day. When stress is prevalent in your life, you are more likely to relapse. However, the structure associated with morning and night routines will help you maintain a more balanced view of life, especially if something unexpected arises.

Tips for a healthy routine

Healthy routines don’t just start overnight. They develop by starting small and incorporating bigger changes along the way. However, if you’re in recovery, it’s good to establish two base routines: a morning routine and a night routine and then add different habits as you go along.  

 

Here are some habits to include into your routines: 

• Going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day  
• Journaling daily  
• Dedicating time to self-care 
• Exercising daily  
• Cooking healthy meals or meal planning for the week  
• Practicing mindfulness 
• Having a set work or school schedule  Keeping a chore schedule

It’s very important to find sober hobbies to do with friends, family, or by yourself to maintain a healthy lifestyle as well. You can add it into your routine by committing to doing a sober activity once a week. On top of proving to yourself that you can have fun while sober, you’ll also be expanding your horizons and developing new interests and skills.

Routines for self-improvement

The more you stick to a routine, the more progress you will see in yourself, and the more motivated you will be to keep it up. Your self-esteem and confidence will get a boost and that will also give you more motivation to stay sober.