Balancing addiction recovery with other aspects of your life - work, family, relationships - can be difficult. It’s important to have a support system and a plan in place to balance the important things. One of the major aspects in most people’s lives is work; it is vitally important to strike a healthy balance between your work and recovery.
Don’t stretch yourself too thin. No matter how good you’re feeling, remember to take things slow. There will be days when you feel like you need to push yourself and make up for days when you struggled. Be careful; it’s important to pace yourself and remember that you don’t have to take on every challenge that comes your way. Accept the work and assignments you can handle; as you ease into your new routine with recovery and perform well at work, you can increase the challenges you are able to take on.
Having a healthy routine can make balancing work and recovery feel more natural. Arrive to work early each day to give yourself time to settle in. Leave on time each day if possible so that you are not rushing through the rest of your day. Make sure you have a schedule that allows time for nutritious meals, exercise, sufficient rest, and quality time with family and friends who are supporting you through recovery.
While you are at work, make sure you check in with your recovery needs. Doing frequent self-checks can allow you to see what you might be missing and address it before it becomes a problem and interferes with your work. One tool you can use for this purpose is HALT:
· Hunger- This can be a physical or emotional need. Make sure you are filling your body with nutritious foods and also that your body isn’t craving less tangible things like affection.
· Anger- Anger is a normal response to certain experiences. If you’re feeling angry, take the time to figure out what’s causing your anger and work toward resolving it in a healthy manner.
· Loneliness- Loneliness can occur when you’re with or without people. If you’re feeling lonely, ask yourself if you’ve reached out to anyone in your support network recently. If you haven’t, make the time to visit family and friends and recharge your social battery.
· Tiredness- When you have too much on your plate, you can tire yourself out and neglect your needs. Make sure you are taking the time to see to your physical and emotional needs; don’t burn yourself out.
No matter how much you love your job, there will be some triggers. Triggers are everywhere, and work triggers are no different. You will need to identify the triggers in your work environment and manage them to the best of your ability. If you feel your workplace is not conducive to your recovery, you might have to find a different job or even a different role within the company. Protecting your recovery remains your most important job.