You Are Not Alone
When I am stressed, lonely, and feeling unique, like no one could possibly understand what I am going through, it helps me to remind myself that I am not alone. I have God, my sponsor, my network of friends, family, and a treatment team. So what I need to do is get down on my knees and pray or pick up the phone and call someone and ask for help. I struggle with this almost daily, but when I do reach out and ask for help, I honestly do feel supported and connected with others.
One Meal At A Time
Meal planning for me can be one of the most overwhelming parts of my recovery at times. While planning my meals for a day, I constantly have to take it one meal at a time. This means that if I have to pack both lunch and dinner, I need to step back, remind myself to take it one meal at a time, and prepare the contents of lunch before moving on to the contents of dinner. Since getting out of residential, this has helped me not get overwhelmed by having too much to prepare at once.
Just For Today
I often find myself focusing too much on the future instead of just getting through today. Currently, I am worried about how I am losing my health insurance at the end of this month, and next month when my parents cut off financial support for me how I am going to possibly be able to support myself. But I have found that throughout the day, as thoughts like these come through my head, they are followed by “just for today.” I take this to mean that I just need to do what I can today to plan for tomorrow, such as job searching and applying for health insurance. This lowers my stress level and allows me to be in the solution rather than stuck in the problem of self-pity.
