Are You Returning To Work After Drug Treatment? 3 Strategies For Preventing Relapse
After years of battling an addiction, you are finally feeling better. Although it was hard to go through drug treatment, you know that you now have a new chance to get the most out of life. Yet, you can't help but feel a little nervous about returning to work because you know that increased stress can interfere with your recovery. Fortunately, you can transition back to working by incorporating these strategies into your relapse prevention plan.
Prioritize Your After Care Plan
Before you left your treatment program, you worked with your support team to identify ways to continue staying sober once you got home. For example, addiction counseling should continue even now that you are working. This is because your counselor can help you recognize the signs of stress and recommend strategies for easing the emotional strain that accompanies returning to work. Make sure to schedule your aftercare strategies into your work week so that you never miss an important component of your treatment.
Schedule Time to Relax into Your Day
A hectic work week often leaves little room for relaxation. However, allowing stress to accumulate makes relapse more likely. Spend a few minutes looking over your go-to strategies for relaxing during stressful times, and find ways to include these into small chunks of time. For instance, you could meditate for five minutes after you wake up, or you could take a relaxing walk on your lunch break. Including small mini-breaks throughout your day helps you feel stronger during stressful moments.
Reach Out for Support
Ideally, you should have a list of people that you can turn to when cravings hit, and it is common to experience a few challenging moments during the first few weeks of starting a new job. Find a drug addiction counselor that you can talk to honestly about how you feel as you go back to work, and identify several friends or family members that you can talk to when you need a distraction. The knowledge that you are surrounded by support helps you overcome triggers such as stress that pose a risk for your continued sobriety.
Now that you are sober, you can't wait to get back into the workplace and see what you can do when you are feeling your best. However, it is important to have support strategies in place that help you transition back to work without falling prey to relapse. By developing a team of support and prioritizing your after care plan, you can look forward to enjoying a bright future that is full of success. Talk to a company like Treat with Care for more information.
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