Recovery tools
 

Recovery tools... please add something you've used today.

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Timeline.

I wrote down the timeline of just the past four years of craziness. Just the facts. I left out emotions and small details. Looking at the short version is a reminder I really need.

No contact. It seems such a small thing, especially as time passes, but somehow it's the biggest thing I can do.

I am experiencing a good deal of holiday anxiety, exacerbated by FOO issues that have been stirred up lately (also because of the holidays). I have been spending a lot of my free time doing jigsaw puzzles lately. The act of putting the pieces together occupies whatever part of my brain keeps me from working through the emotions around my anxieties. I find it very meditative. I haven't needed it in awhile but lately it's been just the thing.

A practice of gratitude. It took me awhile to get honest about gratitude. I had to stop trying to be grateful for things that I though I should be grateful for and pay attention to my feelings and what I really was grateful for.

Really good thread - thanks!!I can related to the things y'all said and you've given me ideas/reminders of tools to use here at 20+ mo. Mine have definitely evolved over my sober time.

Sparklekitty- (first I am glad to see your post- I feel like I haven't read anything from you in a long time!) I can VERY much relate to FOO and holiday (specifically, Thanksgiving right now) struggles. A tool I just used - my fiance and I decided together after a LOT of program application, discussion and prayer- tears too- was to opt out of attending my family beach time (my parents live at the beach and we were going to take my step daughter and spend it with them). That has not gone over well and I shouldn't be surprised that I am getting some passive aggressive and avoiding the elephant by ignoring the issues behavior from my parents.

Right now, I have been using my classic "send myself to timeout" with naps and extra sleep. It is a little excessive but i have learned that when I feel a really strong need to sleep, I am processing something.

I am also exercising a LOT. I started hot yoga thanks to a Groupon and friend's glowing reviews of how she shifted to it, from just running, back in Sept and have kept it up. I go 6x a week for n hour to 90 min; we also do a 5K every month and I sometimes run in between.

Also, one thing I rely on is my morning routine of recovery work - 6 things: ask myself HALT (usually commentary on the day before and how I slept); reading pp 84-88 and 417-418 of the Big Book; devotional from a book; day's reading from Friar Richard Rohr of the CAC; a Bible app; coming on SR.

Thanks again for the shares all!

Good to see you, too, August--rest assured I am always around even if I don't always post. :)

No contact. Attending birthday dinner last night with my son only. It was amazing to go out and have a glass of wine without worrying that I might trigger someone to lose their mind and control. I don't even remember the last time I went out without worrying the night will go to hell because he lost control.

Still early for me today, but yesterday....

I went out with friends and had a fantastic evening with people who love and support me, even though hubby was MIA and would've cancelled in the past.

I spent time alone outside playing with my dogs and did my best to be just be open to their joy.

Selfishly sat on the couch and read for awhile instead of doing the next thing on my to do list.

Today's plans...cup of coffee and the sunrise

Movie and lunch with a friend later today.

Recovery tools...

Posting here

Going to Alanon and open AA meetings

Detaching with love from AH and minding my own business.

Life changers for us both.

Today:

Self care

New actions... again doing less instead of more. These are still ***NEW*** actions for me and it helps to remember this. I keep feeling like, "Okay, that was fun. That worked really well and I'm feeling "better" now... so it's about time I do a whole lot now..."

Wtf?! Doing more is my drug of choice.

Instead of cutting myself off from the moment I'm in by thoughts of what I should supposedly be doing..... I'm embracing new ways of letting myself EXPERIENCE LIFE more. Breathing deeply. Being aware of more fun, colors, playfulness, feelings, music, rhythm and LIGHTNESS in my life.

Yesterday: went to see my therapist.
Today: are these my feelings or my AH’s?

Recovery tools I'm picking up and using today:

Breathing deeply

Taking things one moment at a time.

Prayer... Help! Prayer... Thank you.

Next right action... something nourishing for my mind. Recovery articles. Uplifting music.