When you are in early recovery, you may hear other recovering people say that sobriety happens one day at a time. This adage is the epitome of recovery. Part of addiction is needing instant gratification. Recovery is not instant. Recovery is a process. You will grow, heal, and change the longer you stay sober. In fact, your perspective changes about life, self, and relationships the longer you stay sober.

Recovery is about waking up each morning and deciding to go to meetings, support groups, therapy. The meeting or therapy session that you had yesterday won’t help you stay sober today. Each new day can bring challenges, disappointments, and celebrations. You need to continue doing what is necessary to stay sober one day at a time.

Recovery is too big to try to figure out all at one time. Imagine taking a cross country road trip. You have to drive one mile at a time, and you will eventually make it to your destination. The same rings true for recovery. You have no way to know what tomorrow or the next day will bring. You can only focus on today.

Recovery is a daily reprieve from the consequences of active addiction. Each day, you need to wake up and choose recovery over addiction. You can look at it like choosing life over death. Recovery gives you a new life, whereas addiction leads to your demise.

Now that you get the idea behind the seriousness of recovery, how exactly do you make the choice every day? Consider the following tips to help you choose recovery on a daily basis:

• Wake up and say one thing you are grateful for
• Spend time with people who challenge and respect you
• Do not glamorize the past
• Do not live in the past
• Set future goals
• Remember the reasons why you got sober
• Go to meetings regularly
• Avoid old people, places, and things that remind you of alcohol and drugs

No matter what comes your way in recovery, you can make it through successfully. The 12-step rooms encourage you to take recovery one day at a time. All you have is today, so make the most of it. Recovery is possible.

At The Kimberly Center, we care about your recovery. Contact us now at 855-4-KCENTER to learn more about what addiction treatment involves. We are committed to helping you or your loved one stop the cycle of addiction with education and treatment. At the Kimberly Center, you can trust us with your recovery.