Learning to Be Teachable in Recovery

A big part of recovery and relapse prevention is being teachable. Your willingness to learn from past mistakes, take direction from counselors and peers and open your mind to learning new things will help you grow in sobriety. It will also help you to build a fulfilling, sober life and be your best self. A big part of being teachable is being humble – some experts even say the words teachability and humility can be interchanged.

Here’s why. When you’re teachable you will…

• Be more aware of your limitations, knowledge and abilities.
• You’re not afraid to regularly ask for help, instruction, guidance and advice.
• You learn from anyone and everyone you can.
• You listen to others carefully and patiently with a desire to learn their experiences.
• You’re ready to move out of your comfort zone, try something different and make mistakes. 
• You don’t give up when you fail but seek help and try again.

The good news is that you can learn to be teachable – and these steps will benefit your recovery, too:  

• Try something new. Whether you learn to cook, knit or speak a different language, do your best to step out of your comfort zone and seek new experiences. The more you learn, the more you’ll get in touch with yourself and the better you’ll relate to others. 
• Make time for reflection. Take a few minutes each night to reflect on and journal about your day. What stayed the same? What was different or better or worse? Answering these questions honestly will help you become aware of any areas that need improvement. 
• Surround yourself with positive people. The right supports will help you grow and learn in daily life. How can you tell if someone is helpful or harmful? Ask yourself how the person makes you feel? For example, energized and inspired or tired and negative?
• Pick up a book. Reading is a great recovery activity that can help you learn new things and gain a fresh perspective – while taking time to relax and decompress.

A Place for Personal Growth 

At Rising Roads Recovery, we provide a safe, support environment that allows our female clients to learn life skills and flourish in their new sober lives. Let us help you or someone you love find the path to your happy destiny. To learn about our programs and services, call today: 866-746-1558.

Learning to Love Your Sober Self

There’s no better time to start taking steps to love your new sober self than on Valentine’s Day. 

Whether you’re struggling with feelings of uncertainty or guilt over past deeds, today is the perfect day to begin forgiving yourself and to start moving ahead as you learn to make better, brighter choices in life. 

Devote a few minutes today to showing yourself a little appreciation – you deserve it! A few small gestures can help you build your confidence and learn to love the new sober you! 

Do something that feels good. Nurturing your body is one of the best ways to achieve self love –whether you do some yoga, whip up a superfood-charged snack or just soak in a bubble bath. And don’t forget to nurture your mind, too. Carve out a few moments today to meditate, listen to an interesting podcast or do a crossword puzzle.

Create an enjoy-life calendar. Start today and schedule into each day this week some small thing you would enjoy doing – and make it happen. Some ideas: 

• Give yourself a pedicure or facial.
• Call your sister or best friend.
• Sit down and color or sketch.
• Try a new recipe.
• Begin reading a best-seller or self-help book. 
• Soak up the sun for 15 minutes.
• Start a new hobby.

Plan your future. Spend some time today setting some future goals (small and big) for yourself. This will give you something to look forward to in your new sober life. Just remember to make them S.M.A.R.T. (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound).

Celebrate a small win. Take a minute today to pat yourself on the back for any recovery milestones or victories that you’ve recently achieved. Write them down and keep them in a mason jar or shoe box so you can reference them on those days that you need some extra encouragement.  

A Sanctuary to Find Self-Love

At Rising Roads, we have crafted an environment that will make each woman feel great about her surroundings, which will help her feel great about herself. To learn more about our programs and facility, call today: 866-746-1558.

Invest in Your Success: 3 Tips for Daily Goal Setting

What are your long-term goals? Do you want to own your own business, launch a new career or train for a marathon? If so, kudos to you! Planning for your future is an important and exciting part of starting a new life of sobriety. When you are no longer living in the fog of substance abuse, you’ll likely find that you have more energy to pursue your dreams.

But, it’s important to think about your long-term goals as a series of smaller, short-term milestones. That way, you can set realistic expectations for yourself and avoid feeling overwhelmed.

To set yourself up for success, take a few minutes every day to create a few daily goals for yourself. It will likely help you stay focused on your priorities and keep your progress top of mind.

Daily goal setting doesn’t have to be time-consuming or difficult and it can help propel you forward. Here are a few tips to help you get started!

(1) First, identify a few long-term goals that you want to achieve. But, keep the list manageable, perhaps two or three objectives at first. When you sit down in the morning to jot down your short-term goals for the day, you can reference this list to help you stay focused. Starting with a blank slate can be challenging and you can use this information to help you get started.

(2) Use a positive tone! While it may seem like a slight difference, the words you use can make a big impact. Phrase your goals using positive words such as “I will” instead of “I hope to”. This can help give you a boost of confidence and the determination to achieve your goals and not push them to the side. 

(3) Celebrate your successes but don’t dwell on goals not yet completed. When you sit down each day to create a new list of goals, review your goals from the day before. Celebrate the progress that you have accomplished but don’t beat yourself up for the work that you still need to complete. Sometimes you might underestimate the amount of time required to complete a task or something unexpected might pop up. Just learn from your experience and keep moving forward!

California Addiction Treatment for Women

At Rising Roads Recovery, we specialize in helping women who are dealing with difficult situations. Living with an addiction to drugs or alcohol may seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to stay that way. Our Rise Up Program is designed to help women who need additional support before graduating to independent living. With our transitional living program, you can continue your powerful journey of personal growth during recovery. Reach out to us today to learn more. Call (866) 746-1558.

3 Strategies for Building Stronger Relationships with Compassion

If you’ve made the courageous decision to pursue a sober lifestyle, you know that developing new life skills is an important component of a sustainable recovery. And, learning how to become more empathetic and compassionate towards others is certainly one of the most valuable life skills that can help you thrive socially and professionally.

It can help you build stronger and more resilient personal relationships with others and develop a solid social support system. Demonstrating that you care about those around you is a powerful skill that can help you become closer with your friends and loved ones.

3 Ways to Become a More Compassionate Friend

(1) First, seek to understand. 

If someone close to you is having a bad day, your first instinct might be to jump into the discussion with your suggestions. But, sometimes the act of listening is really all that they need at that time. Sit down with them to hear them out in a distraction-free environment. Give them time to talk things out. And, don’t be afraid to ask questions to help clarify how they are feeling and why. They’ll likely appreciate that you took the time to better understand their perspective.

(2) Consider the bigger picture and try not to take things personally. 

While your first instinct may be to react to the situation at hand, that may just escalate their emotions. The next time you encounter a less than positive interaction with a coworker or a friend, take a deep breath and press pause. They may be dealing with a stressful situation in their personal life that is spilling over into their interactions with others. If someone you know starts to act in a way that is out of the ordinary, consider the possibility that they are working through a challenging season in their life.

(3) Show compassion to yourself. 

One good rule of thumb is to be as kind to yourself as you would treat a good friend. No one is perfect and we all make mistakes from time to time. Remind yourself that you are a work in progress and have already come a long way. Don’t focus on your mistakes. Learn from them and move on. Instead, concentrate on your goals and continue to use that positive momentum to fuel your recovery!

Learn Healthy Life Skills During Transitional Residential Care

At Rising Roads Recovery, we are committed to helping women find lasting sobriety and start to heal from the burdens of addiction. Using a comprehensive approach, clients participate in 12-step programming in addition to holistic therapies including mindfulness training, experiential therapy and workshops designed to help build healthy relationships. If you’d like to learn more about our gender-specific treatment for drug and alcohol addiction, please call us today at (866) 746-1558.

The Link Between Poor Sleep and Mood Disorders

Based on findings from one recent study, you might reconsider staying up past your bedtime.

Scientists tracked the sleeping habits of 171 women for two weeks to evaluate the potential link between sleep quality and mood disorders. 

At the beginning of the survey, researchers interviewed participants to establish a baseline score of their risk for depression and anxiety. After that, researchers administered follow-up surveys on a daily basis to track variations in mood.

After evaluating the data collected, the researchers found that the women who consistently got less sleep had a higher risk of experiencing anhedonic depression – an inability to derive pleasure from activities they once enjoyed.

(Note: How much sleep you need may vary slightly based on your daily routine, but in general, the National Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours each night for adults between the ages of 17 to 64.)

Based on these findings, good sleep hygiene can help reduce your risk of experiencing anxiety and depression. And, it delivers a variety of other powerful physical and mental health benefits too. Need a few more reasons to cultivate healthier sleeping patterns?

4 More Reasons Why You Should Prioritize Sleep

(1) Good sleep supports your sobriety.
Making sure that you get enough sleep is important for everyone, and even more so for those who are creating a sober lifestyle. By getting quality sleep, you can reduce your risk of anxiety and depression which are common relapse triggers.

(2) You are in greater control of your emotions.
Researchers at the University of California, Berkley found that the amygdala—an emotional center of the brain—was about 60% more active in people who were sleep deprived than those who were well rested.

(3) It supports other healthy behaviors.
When you are well rested, you’re more likely to engage in other healthy behaviors such as eating right, working out and pursuing hobbies.

(4) Your body will thank you.
Consistently getting enough rest has been shown to reduce your risk of developing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, immune disorders – and it can help you maintain a healthy weight.

Treatment After a Drug Relapse

If you have experienced sobriety but have had a relapse, our Boost Up Program is for you. Our post relapse care is designed for those who have had the taste of recovery and begun to feel the promises comes true in their life. Just like everyone’s recovery plan looks different, so does everyone’s relapse avoidance plan. You have a unique history that needs to be accounted for in your plan. At Rising Roads Recovery, we’re here to help. To learn more, call today: (866) 746-1558.

How to Stop Procrastinating and Start Being Productive!

Everyone procrastinates from time to time. You might put off washing the car for another week or wait until the last minute to pay your phone bill. But, it doesn’t have to stay that way. You can, in fact, learn how to curb the urge to procrastinate and become more productive.

It’s important to note that fighting the temptation to procrastinate isn’t about being perfect. It’s about continuing to learn and grow as a person on your journey of self-discovery.

Working on a new sober lifestyle? This is an especially powerful skill for those working on their recovery. You’ll feel more empowered and in control of your personal and professional life.

So, how can you start living a more productive lifestyle? Here are four strategies to help you stop procrastinating and get things done.

(1) Tackle big projects early in the day.
While it may seem tempting to put off the most daunting tasks, it’s actually wiser to address them early in the day while you are the most mentally and physically refreshed. If your to-do list has 10 items, focus on the most challenging project first and get it out of the way.

(2) Create some positive momentum.
Have a comprehensive report at work due in a week? If you start to feel overwhelmed about the scope of the project, limit your focus. Think about one small step you can take today to get started. By focusing on what you can accomplish, you’ll likely have more energy to keep making progress.

(3) Loop in your loved ones.
Be vocal about your goals – when and how you aim to get things done. For example, if you’re wanting to stick to a new exercise routine, tell your friends and family about your plans. If you know someone is there to help keep you accountable, you’ll be more apt to follow through.

(4) Write it down.
Have a mental list of things you need to get done today? Take the time to write it down and plan out a deadline for each task. This simple act can help you stay on task – and on schedule.

Life Skills Training During Transitional Residential Care

Rising Roads is set up to maintain the skills you have already learned and practice them. At our California women's recovery center, we will assist you in creating a plan with measurable and attainable milestones -- and we'll walk with you every step of the way on the path of addiction recovery. We’re here to help: (866) 746-1558.