Knowing how to integrate back into “normal life” after receiving treatment can feel intimidating. One of the most prominent challenges of this transition is ensuring a healthy work-life balance while prioritizing your recovery. While this will look different for everyone, it can help to have an idea of what a healthy framework for work-life balance can look like. In addition, it’s important to remember that recovery is a process, not a finish line. It is a lifelong journey, and we here at Sage Recovery are here for you through all of it.
Here are three ways that you can ensure a healthy work-life balance in your recovery:
#1. Creating a Healthy Work-Life Balance: Know Your Triggers
An essential aspect of lasting recovery is knowing your triggers. If you know the mental, emotional, and environmental triggers that might tempt you to return to substance use, you’ll be better prepared to avoid or cope with them. You’ll typically learn how to identify these triggers in a treatment program. However, it can help to know that your triggers will evolve and change just as you will throughout your recovery journey. Regularly checking in with your care team can help you maintain recovery and ensure that you have healthy habits in place for navigating triggers.
It is important to note that triggers may not last forever. What triggers you early on in your recovery journey may not trigger you five years later. You may not be able to anticipate every trigger, as some will surprise you or catch you off guard. Even still, it’s important to be able to identify potential situations and environments that may be unhealthy for you. For example, if you are healing from alcohol use disorder (AUD), it probably wouldn’t be a good idea for you to get a job as a bartender. Moreover, if you consistently put yourself in compromising situations that challenge your sobriety, it’ll be more difficult to maintain your recovery.
#2. Set Boundaries for Effective Work-Life Balance
Setting healthy boundaries is another important part of the recovery journey. While boundaries will look different for every person, it goes hand-in-hand with the importance of knowing your triggers. If you know your triggers, it’ll make creating and establishing boundaries that much easier.
Relational Boundaries
Boundaries may look different in different areas of life. For example, you may need to set relational boundaries with family and friends. If you have a close work relationship with someone who is unsupportive of your sobriety, it may be time to set up boundaries with them. A healthy boundary would be to limit communication with this person until you are confident in your sobriety.
If you are having trouble establishing boundaries or knowing how to set them healthily, a professional licensed counselor can help. Not only will they help you process the complicated emotions that come with establishing boundaries, but they’ll also help you determine what relationships need boundaries. A professional counselor will give you the tools needed to have those conversations and maintain healthy relationships as you heal.
Boundaries Related to Health and Well-Being
In addition to setting relational boundaries to ensure a healthy work-life balance, it is also necessary to set boundaries related to your health. This may look like not staying out past 8 pm on weeknights to ensure you get enough rest. It could also entail not going to work parties that will have alcohol or substances present. Prioritizing your mental and physical health may feel difficult at times, but it’s worth your overall health and sanity.
Setting boundaries may also be as simple as utilizing time-management skills to allow for healthy outlets. Sometimes scheduling fun experiences is the best way to make sure they happen. Just like you often have to schedule vacations a few weeks in advance to make sure you can get the time off from work, you can schedule fun in advance. It’s also okay to schedule times for rest.
For example, if you love traveling and spend most weekends going to new places, it might be a good idea to schedule one weekend a month for resting and sleeping in. If you don’t properly take care of your body in recovery, you won’t be able to do the things you love.
#3. Focus on Maintaining Overall Health to Ensure Healthy Work-Life Balance
Maintaining overall health can help ensure you have an appropriate work-life balance. This may include regular check-ins with mental health professionals and primary care doctors to ensure you are maintaining a healthy recovery. It also allows you to keep your health goals at the forefront of your mind. This makes it easier to maintain boundaries and stay focused on healthy habits.
Making sure your overall health is intact can help you perform better at work. In turn, you may feel more fulfilled in your career as well as more confident in your sobriety. All of this can make it easier to sustain recovery and stay as healthy as possible.
How Sage Recovery’s Programs Encourage Healthy Work-Life Balance
Here at Sage Recovery, we know how important it is to have a healthy work-life balance. That’s why we offer our Business Professionals Program, which allows patients to attend residential treatment without having to leave their job.
We know that not everyone will desire or be able to leave their job for 35 days to attend treatment. However, that shouldn’t keep them from receiving the treatment they need. Patients in this program can still attend important work matters, participate in conference calls, and arrange in-person meetings while working to establish lasting success in sobriety.
Integrating back into life after treatment may feel intimidating. The good news is, you don’t have to do it alone. Here at Sage Recovery, our customizable treatment plans are specifically set up to help you heal in the healthiest ways. That includes continuing care after you have completed our program. Our care for you does not end just because you finish our program. Our masters-level clinicians and trauma-informed staff will walk alongside you every step of the way as you discover how to live a healthy life. Whether you attend our outpatient, residential, intensive outpatient, or partial hospitalization program, we’ll walk alongside you every step of the way. Reach out to us at (512) 306-1394 today to learn more.