Active Retirement, Active Recovery

I am in awe of my Mother. She is at retirement age now yet she still works part time, she manages her own relationship in her own unique way, she spends far too much time taking care of me when I’m in addiction and still manages to go to active retirement activities such as art and pickleball. It got me thinking of recovery. Recovery to me should be the equivalent of active retirement. If I wasn’t a ball of anxiety I’d be going to Smart Recovery. They host meetings and go beyond. They have activities for people in addiction too, they go bowling, have sober lunches, have spinning classes together and I believe they even have outdoor fitness classes.

At present my recovery is far from ‘active’. By next week I hope to be back yet again attempting the couch to 5k app ‘Just Run’. I would like to introduce swimming and walking into my weekly routine too. Recovery isn’t just about not using or picking up a drink or betting slip. It’s about nourishing the body and mind too. If you struggle with physical exercise there are plenty of other options too. Meditation comes highly recommended in ‘Active Recovery’.

I have given up many many times in recovery because I chose to make it a life not worth living. If you’re not enjoying sobriety you might as well pick up or gamble again. A level of maturity is needed however. An understanding that miracles don’t happen overnight. This week I have kept myself busy, I hope to continue to do so. I’m stressed at present financially and can’t see light at the end of the tunnel. Luckily through the brief times I have had sobriety I have matured slightly, I know now today that giving life time will reap rewards in the end. In Smart Recovery they suggest doing a cost benefit analysis of ‘using’ and one for ‘not using’. They ask you to define the benefits and disadvantages into short term and long term columns. When you see it in black and white it becomes a no brainer. The long term benefits trump the short term disadvantages every time.