Daily Recovery Checklist Items

Staying sober? Be sure to have this daily recovery addiction checklist handy to help you in the process.

Addiction Recovery Checklist

1. Remember where you have been and how far you have come in your recovery. The last thing you want to do is jeopardize your recovery and fall behind again. That is why it is important to keep the goal of sobriety at the forefront. Sobriety is the goal – remember it.

2. Be sure to continue visiting your counselor or therapist, and also attend regular visits to support group meetings. If you need help with something that is troubling you, ask for help. Don’t wait until the problem gets out of control and you become overwhelmed. You counselor or therapist can help you, and recovering addicts will certainly understand what you are going through.

3. Another entry to the addiction recovery checklist is taking good care of yourself. Remember the acronym HALT= hungry, angry, lonely, tired. If you allow these four things to occur for too long, you will become susceptible to temptation and triggers. Don’t allow yourself to become lonely and isolated because it can make you sad and depressed. Try to spend adequate time with your family and friends who care about you and support your recovery. Don’t allow anger to dwell in your mind or heart because nothing good will come of it. Let it go and learn to forgive others and yourself. Eat and drink nutritious meals, get enough rest and exercise.

4. Try to avoid high-risk people and situations. You can effectively manage difficult situations if you have a dialogue and plan of escape prepared ahead of time. You can write down a list of polite answers to say when people try to provoke you, or you can simply excuse yourself and walk away. If you must attend a gathering where there will be drinking and drug using, bring a trusted friend with your to act as your body guard in case you begin to falter. You best defense is to be prepared ahead of time.

5. Your addiction recovery daily checklist should also include the continuation of renewing your mind. You learned in rehab how negative thoughts affect your behavior and can lead to drug using again. To remain sober you will have to continue the process of renewing your mind for the rest of your life. Whatever destructive thought you find yourself thinking must be removed and replaced with healthy, constructive thoughts. You behavior will reflect your thoughts, and you will begin to act in a healthy manner. Remember the old adage: Your beliefs become your thoughts, your thoughts become your words, your words become your actions, your actions become your habits, your habits become your character and your character becomes your destiny.

6. Keep yourself spiritually centered by practicing your faith or using relaxation techniques like prayer and praise, meditation, music therapy, etc. Learn how to relax and remove unnecessary thoughts from your mind and heart. Relaxation offers many benefits to the mind, body and spirit, and eases feelings of anxiety, lowers depression and blood pressure, aids in pain management and helps you sleep better. You will find balance and renewed hope and peace by being spiritually active.

7. Your addiction recovery checklist should also include making new friends who don’t drink or use drugs. Get to know the people at your support group meetings, and make plans to do things together. Try new activities like team sports, hiking, camping, fishing, golf, tennis, reading, arts and crafts, cooking, gardening, etc. You should do the things that you enjoy with the people that you like to be with.

Your addiction recovery daily checklist should help you stay focused on your recovery and re-building your life for the better. You have a second chance at life and you can create a wonderful new way to enjoy every moment of it. Stay focused on the goal of sobriety and you will make it.