Right Out of Rehab: Simple Steps for Starting Over and Loving Life Again

If you have taken the positive step of going to rehab, you will no doubt want to try and make the most of your opportunity to start over and fall back in love with life at the end of your program.

A drug or alcohol problem may well have led you to need the services of a criminal defense attorney at some point, if you had to face a DUI charge for example, and many who have been through that scenario, want to make the most of their chance to start over.

Here is a look at a few simple steps that should help you to get your life back on track.

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Slow and steady wins the race

If you have recently recovered from an addition there is a fair chance that you will feel newly energized and consider yourself ready to hit the ground running.

Regardless of whether you do feel like you want to take on the world after gaining your new lease of life or simply consider yourself ready to take a new and positive course with your life, it is often better to take a few baby steps in your new direction, rather than adopt a full-blown assault.

It is well worth remembering that if you have recently been through rehab following an addition problem, it is far better to take things steady rather than push yourself at a pace that might put more pressure on you can handle, leading to potentially disastrous consequences, if you don’t give yourself enough time to properly adjust.

Set some realistic goals

A good way of ensuring that you approach your post-rehab period in just the right way and don’t rush your recovery, is to set yourself some realistic goals.

Think about what you want to do with your life and where you would like to see yourself a few years from now. Whether you want to get yourself better qualified for work by taking a degree or signing up for a training course, or maybe want to try and start your own business, these are all potentially realistic goals over a period of time.

One of the best ways to approach your ambitions and goals after rehab, is to create a list that includes some smaller targets that can be achieved in the short-term, as well as laying down some longer-term ambitions.

By starting off with some very simple goals that will only take a short space of time to accomplish and building up to some larger goals that might take a few years to achieve, you will maintain your motivation and stand a good chance of sticking to your chosen path.

A new social network

A big help with your plans to turn over a new leaf and enjoy a better life than the one you have just pulled away from, would be to try and make some new friends.

There are numerous advantages to creating a new social network. Your new friends might not be aware of your previous problems, so you can choose when and if you talk to them about your rehab, rather than suffering from what might some preconceived judgments directed at you from people who already know you.

You obviously don’t want to abandon your positive friendships that you have enjoyed in the past, especially if they have been supportive throughout your difficult period of addiction, but every relationship that you forge wants to be healthy, and making friends with some new people who aren’t going to ask you painful questions about rehab, is a positive step.

Sort out your diet and start exercising

There is no question that getting into a regular exercise regime will have a positive influence on your energy levels and is going to boost your sense of wellbeing as well as potentially giving you a new level of confidence.

As part of your commitment to a healthier lifestyle, it would also be a good idea to work on a diet that is going to compliment your new outlook and put your body in better shape than it may have been for some time.

Make a concerted effort to banish junk food from your diet and keep your sugar and fat intake down to a minimum. Replace the bad foods with a good supply of fresh fruit and vegetables, combined with fish and lean meats for plenty of protein.

When you sort out your diet and start exercising regularly, you will almost certainly notice an improvement in your overall state of health and energy levels. This will be yet another positive step in your quest to start over after rehab.

Toby Chamberlain was an addict for 10 years, but now 15years drug-free he thinks it’s time that he uses his experiences to help others whether they are on day 1 or 1001 of being clean.