Ever feel like sobriety isn’t really freeing? No matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to find freedom from your past in recovery. And you hear people talking all the time about how liberating it is. So you think that’s exactly what you’re going to feel- the sense of a deep inner calm.
Only it feels like the exact opposite. You’re battling to get through each day and even question if it’s really one day at a time. It is and it isn’t.
Sometimes it’s one breath at a time.
You can’t help but feel like you’re a hostage to psychological warfare. And you start to wonder if it’s you that’s the problem. It’s definitely not you. It’s the way you’re thinking about recovery. That’s not your fault. We’ve all been indoctrinated to think a certain way.
As someone who’s sober, I’ve been in your shoes. And it’s exhausting to find the secret recipe so you’re not a slave to your inner demons. Here’s the thing- there is no secret recipe. Well, at least not anymore.
I can also tell you that this isn’t a linear process. There’s times when it feels like you’re floating on cloud nine. Then there’s days when you feel like the unseen forces are against you. That’s definitely not the case.
Again, it boils down to thinking patterns. Our experiences create cellular memory which in turn has a butterfly effect. (SOURCE) What this means is you hold the power within yourself to reshape your reality so you can finally find freedom from your past in recovery.
When you change yourself energetically, your perception of the past changes. And when that happens, you find liberation. You also don’t have to sequester yourself from civilization to the foothills of the Himalayas. Because you can do it in the comfort of your own home. We’re going to cover the basics of how to in this post. But if you’d like to take a deeper dive on how to heal yourself energetically, you can read THIS or work with me.
How to find freedom from your past in recovery:
- Make changes
- Find your passions
- Don’t give up
I struggled with drinking for 11 years before I sobered up almost 6 years ago. Relapses, attempting to limit the drinking to an “acceptable” amount, trying various forms of treatment- but I couldn’t find one thing that resonated with me. I sure as hell didn’t feel calm and collected and then I made a few simple tweaks to my approach and now with 6 years of sobriety, I’m sharing how you can find the light at the end of the tunnel.
We (not just those of us who are sober), have this uncanny ability to overcomplicate everything. And it’s for various reasons- we don’t trust ourselves enough, have a fear of leaving our comfort zone, and overthink. But the silver lining is that we can begin a process of simplifying our lives.
Which is why I’m going to share with you the exact steps I took to find freedom from my past in recovery. Just a disclaimer before we proceed- I still sometimes cringe when I think about waking up next to a random stranger after a night of debauchery amongst the other things that were out of character for me. What I don’t do is allow it to debilitate how I live my life. The whole point of this isn’t to forget or dismiss what’s happened. It’s to not allow your past to hinder your growth.
Ok, with that out of the way, let’s get started so you can find freedom from your past in recovery.
Make changes
I know popular consensus says no major changes in the first year. But I’m not one for the status quo and you probably aren’t either if you’re reading this. So, let’s flip the script and think about it from a different perspective:
How can we ever expect anything to change if we’re not making any changes?
Remember what I said about cellular memory earlier? When we make changes, we’re creating new memories in our cells. Which will help you to rewrite a new story, ultimately leading you to finding freedom from your past in recovery.
That doesn’t mean you have to uproot your entire life (unless you want to). You just have to meet your recovery process halfway by tending to your wants and desires so you can feel better about yourself.
If there’s toxic people you can cut yourself off from, do it. Unhappy at your job? See what’s out there and apply for something that feels right. You have the ability to make all the changes you want. Don’t let society or the mainstream approach dictate how you should navigate your recovery.
This journey is about you. And that begins with your happiness. Which brings me to the next tip on finding freedom in recovery.
Find your passions
Alcohol makes us feel sexy and confident. That is, until we wake up in the morning with an epic hangover, scrambling for our phone to see who we drunk dialed or texted.
Then we rinse and repeat. THE. ENTIRE. PROCESS. Even though we silently swear up and down it’ll never happen again.
You know why? Because we’ve lost our zest for life. The inner fire that burns with eternal passion.
We’re not listening to the wisdom of our souls or feeling the rhythms of our heart’s desires.
There’s a disconnect between us and the real us. When I say real us- I mean the parts of ourselves we shy away from. The vulnerability, the emotions, the confident women who chase their dreams without a care in the world.
So when we don’t connect with who we are deep down, we can’t possibly find passion. Yes, we have moments of passion. But they’re short lived, almost in a lustful sense that lacks sincerity.
Which is why when you commit yourself to finding what you’re passionate about, you begin a process of finding freedom from your past in recovery. Have no idea what your passions are?
TRY THIS:
- Write down what you don’t like. Set that aside.
- On a separate piece of paper, write down things you’ve tried, but didn’t keep up with for whatever reason.
- Now add the things you’ve been wanting to try but haven’t.
- Add what you daydream about (being a fabulous painter, sculptor, jewelry designer, etc.)
- When you have both your lists written out, see if there are similarities. For example, if you don’t like getting your hands dirty but painting is on your list of wanting to try, that may not be the most apt for you.
- Keep crossing off your lists until you find a few things you can work with.
- Pursue the things you want to try- even if it’s only 5 minutes a week. It’ll help you to focus on the present moment.
I know you’re aware of this, but don’t wave the white flag when the going gets tough.
Don’t give up
I’m sure this is probably the last thing you want to hear. Which is exactly why I left it for last. It’s not an overnight process. If it were, it wouldn’t be called recovery. It’s a recovery of our mind, body & soul.
That takes both time and discipline. Yes, freedom requires discipline. Tons of it. If we want to be free, we have to put in the work to free ourselves.
Make commitments to yourself. Dedicate some time to create new healthy rituals. Begin healing yourself from the past. The more you actively engage with doing the inner work, the sooner you find freedom from your past in recovery. And remember, you don’t have to commit to this everyday. You’ll only exhaust yourself if you do. If you only have 30 minutes to spare each week, then work with it.
Let’s do a quick recap on how to find freedom from your past in recovery:
- Make changes
- Find what you’re passionate about
- Show up for yourself
You have a powerhouse of wisdom and resourcefulness stored within you. You’ve got this. Whatever your heart desires, it’s yours. You just have to meet the Universe halfway. And most importantly, be gentle, kind, and compassionate with yourself. Because you deserve it.
Know anyone that will benefit from this read? Please be sure to share it with them.
I’ll see ya soon…in the meantime, love yourself so much that even a Hallmark Christmas movie would be jealous.
