Routine & Recovery

Routine & Recovery

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Routine

A healthy routine is essential in recovery.

A routine is a reliable tool to keep from falling into old patterns and habits.

Benefits of Having a Routine

Without routine, we can begin to feel overwhelmed and out of control. With routine, we can:

• Gain a sense of purpose

• Be better prepared for the unexpected and stressful situations

• Improve our self-esteem

• Avoid boredom

• Ensure self-care

Habits

There is a real neurological component to habit creation.

Repetition creates strong connections between neurons. These connections are fundamental to forming a habit. Unfortunately, creating these pathways isn’t easy, especially as we get older.

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Habit Stacking

We generally do these things without conscious thought.

Habit stacking is taking one of the habits we already possess and “stacking” a new one on it. With this approach, we don’t have to develop the neuro pathways from scratch – instead we piggyback them. This gives us the advantage of using an existing pathway and putting us ahead of the game.

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Habit Stacking

use this formula: After [current habit], I will [new habit]

No matter the part of the routine that we are working on, there is likely a habit already in place to attach it to.However, for some in recovery, the old way was completely chaotic and there was no real routine or good habit to build on. We can also associate habits with things that happen to us or are apart from us as well. Some examples of those might be the sun setting, weekly trash pick-up, start/end times of meetings and appointments, or our phones chiming.

Examples:

• After I take a shower, I will meditate for 2 minutes.

• After I make a cup of coffee, I will do 10 push-ups.

• After I finish an episode, I will practice deep breathing.

• After I board a bus, I will journal/practice gratitude.

Some Things to Consider

Choosing the right cue is essential.

Habits that aren’t done daily can be stacked, too.

As long as we attach a new habit with an established one with the same frequency and a logical connection, we can succeed in making the changes we want to make.

Discussion question

What habits would you like to try to implement in your life?

How will you make this happen?

Stacks on Stacks

use this formula: After [current habit], I will [new habit]

• Once you master the basics of habit stacking, the next step is to start stacking your stacks.

• Basically you chain multiple habits together, each one acting as a trigger for the next.

• This step will allow you to create an actual routine for yourself.

• We can stack on the stacks and establish multiple habit chains: morning, afternoon, and evening, as well as weekend, weekly, and so on. Step by step, these stacks, these chains, become a routine that we thrive on.

Conclusion

Habit Stacking, especially when it leads to routine, benefits everyone. It can be a real advantage for those seeking healing in the face of substance use or mental health disorders. Think about what habits you want to stack or that you want to add to your daily routine. Some common examples are exercise, attending self-support meetings, talking to a sponsor, and practicing a daily gratitude list.

1:4 Closing

1. Ask learners to draw four columns on a sheet of blank paper.
2. Ask learners to add the heading ‘Fact’ at the top of column 1, ‘Question’ at the top of column 2, ‘Aha!’ at the top of column 3 and ‘Action’ at the top of column 4.
3. Ask learners to reflect upon the content they have just uncovered and in:
1. column 1 write one fact that they now know that they didn’t know before;
2. column 2 write one question they still have (if they still have a question);
3. column 3 write one ‘Aha!’ moment—one or more new ideas they now have; and
4. column 4 write what action(s) they will take as a result of their new discoveries.
4. Ask learners to form teams of two or three and share the 1:4 sheets, adding anything they feel they missed that their partners have shared with them.

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