A-Z of Recovery: Just one step at a time

 Just one step at a time

January is that one month of the year when most people around the world collectively say "I'm going to loose weight", "I'm going to become a regular at my local gym", "I'm going to do" this and "I will do" that. We make such large decisions in the heat of the moment, with the best of intentions and yet the likelihood of us sticking to such drastic changes aren't very high.

Recovery is a lot like our New years Resolutions, we say that we are going to begin recovery and completely turn our lives around. the thing is, it's not that easy. We didn't start off life feeling or living the way that we are, the change to the negativity and illness took time, it took years to create the mindset that we are in so why should we think that altering it would be any different?

Little and often

In order for recovery to last, we need to make small changes. This works better in my opinion because it's easier to sustain than completing a huge overhaul of my life and then feeling bad when I slip up. You can make one small change at the beginning of every month and dedicate that month to sticking to it. Then, as the year progresses, you add one more small change each month (or every few months) until before you know it, you've reached your main goal.

How it works

I want to become a more positive person, I wish to be able to deal with my emotions in a more sustainable way so instead of just telling myself "right, from now on you have to smile and be cheery 24/7". That idea would set me up to fail straight away because no one is like that. It isn't possible to always be positive because we all have ups and downs in life, we have to deal with them as we go along. It is possible however to think "I am going to work towards being a more positive person". I could start by reading more inspirational stories or self help books (because I know from experience that they are motivating for me and they often help lift my mood). I have created a small step that I can implement gradually and can reap the benefits from.

And if I fail?

Remember, if something isn't working for you then change it, there's no point in feeling guilty about something not working out for you just because it works wonders for someone else. I can guarantee you that we all have to try different things before finding what suits our individual personalities the most.  Remember what they say....Try and fail but don't fail to try...The real failure is when you've given up.

If you feel like you're struggling, then realise that it is okay. It is very normal to have trouble keeping up with the changes or even to relapse. One of the most important things that you can do in this situation is get help. It's okay to ask for help, in fact that may have been the first step you made in gaining your life back. If you don't want help from a professional then talk to a loved one, make a journal so you can deal with your thoughts that way...just keep trying. There is an amazing support network available for everyone if only we reach out and try to find the right one for us.


Don't let any set backs keep you down. Embrace your inner strength and you will conquer this.

Other posts in the A-Z of Recovery are here.