One of the most challenging lessons that come during recovery is learning to take care of yourself. Whether you are dealing with alcohol, drugs, or coping with a mental illness, self-care is a challenging concept. You’ve no doubt spent a lot of time not caring for yourself, which made it that much easier to live yet another day feeling lost. Creating a care package can help you when you’re feeling lost and help you develop a pattern of self-care.
Find the Right Care Package Container
Select something to hold items that allow you to practice the gentle art of self-care. It might be a handcrafted wooden box you already own, a small backpack you used during happier times, or a purchase picked out for the new you. Make sure your care package container has positive associations for you and reflects your personal style.
Goodies for Your Self-Care Package
Fill your care package with things you can use when you feel down or in need of a reminder that you are valuable. Examples include a book of positive affirmations, a journal, a coloring book, and crayons, or a portable music player loaded with playlists that help you express your emotions. If you are enjoying a new book, make sure to carry it or your e-reader around with you to pull out for a peaceful reading break. A printed photo of a person who inspires you to fight for recovery can influence you to push yourself to invite daily self-care into your life.
One of the first things to go when a person is trying to manage life while living with a mental illness or abusing drugs or alcohol is self-care. When it feels like the world is crashing down around you, it’s even more important to develop habits that remind you that you are worth caring for and treating well. Valiant Living teaches our clients how to value themselves while they work on recovery from various addictions and mental illnesses. We offer multiple treatment modalities designed to empower you and inspire self-respect that will carry you into your new life. From initial assessment and stabilization to residential support and preparedness for returning home, our Denver area program will help you change your life. We offer an intimate setting for men-only that is second to none. Call us now at (303) 952-5035 to find out how you can learn to care for yourself again!
