Overcoming Recovery Burnout for Sustained Change

Recovery is an incredibly difficult process. Even alumni who have navigated the complexities of detox and are overcoming their own alcohol, meth, or heroin addiction treatment challenges can still feel overwhelmed by the continued feelings of change. It can be difficult to keep up with the deluge of ways in which daily life may transform throughout sobriety and can result in recovery burnout. Recovery burnout is difficult to address, but the professionals and peers at Hawaii Island Recovery’s dedicated treatment programs can empower those not only navigating their sobriety but also those managing their lives as successful alumni to overcome recovery burnout for sustained change. 

Recovery burnout is the feeling of both physical and emotional fatigue that is common throughout any stage of recovery. The constant effort, focus, and dedication it takes to not only continue to push toward recovery goals and milestones but even navigate the constant urges and cravings is intense. Likewise, it is normal to feel overwhelmed or even experience doubt in a person’s own ability to maintain such drastic change. Others experiencing recovery burnout may feel as if their efforts aren’t worth it, or that they are incapable of keeping up with their own sober transformation or reaching the goals set for themselves. 

While difficult, all of these thoughts and experiences are normal. However, it is still important to address recovery burnout to ensure that each individual is able to continue working towards their best sober life. Upon experiencing these feelings, talking with dedicated professionals and supports can ensure that an individual is able to work to overcome such burnout, care for their own health and energy, and more while continuing toward their sober goals. 

Recovery burnout can be a major roadblock for anyone in recovery. Having dedicated strategies to address the situation is necessary for a truly healthy and fulfilling life as a sober alumnus. Finding the strategies that work best for each individual is paramount, and the peers and professionals at Hawaii Island Recovery are always available to help each person explore their own personalized practices to address recovery burnout. 

Setting goals in recovery is vital at any stage. However, learning to set goals is also a learned skill and something that should be done alongside professionals. While each individual is sure to have grand, overarching goals for their sober journey, alumni should also have a number of smaller goals that all work towards their grander achievements. 

Having short-term, attainable, and measurable goals can help alumni continue to see their progress in motion. It is easy to experience recovery burnout if an individual feels they are not progressing toward their goal or are feeling stuck or plateaued throughout their recovery. These goals, as well as continuing to recognize changes already made, are all great ways to reinforce the value of each person’s hard work in sobriety.

Reaching goals, both big and small, should always be celebrated for the accomplishments they are. However, it is also important to recognize how the maintenance of previous changes is just as important and difficult. Taking time to celebrate change regularly, highlight particular goals, or even congratulate an individual on another entire week sober are all important things, and can all further motivate an individual to push through the challenges of recovery. 

Self-care is the practice of being able to tend to personal needs and is a staple of effective recovery efforts at any stage. Addiction recovery is difficult, and the journey is long. Engaging in effective self-care to tend to not just physical needs like exercise or rest, but also spiritual needs, social needs, and personal interests and hobbies are all important. 

It is normal to feel as if an individual has to be constantly pushing themselves in recovery. However, it is not just beneficial, but encouraged, that those in recovery take a moment, step back, and rest. There is nothing wrong with enjoying a hobby, watching a favorite television show, reading a book, or sleeping in when needed. In fact, allowing oneself to do such things can be a great way of avoiding recovery burnout while also making a person’s dedicated recovery efforts more effective. 

Routines are powerful resources throughout alumni’s life, and having a dedicated and structured routine can add needed consistency to daily life. However, that doesn’t mean that an individual can’t also introduce new and exciting elements into their day. Making an effort to add variety to life can be incredibly helpful in avoiding falling into complacency or becoming disillusioned with their sober progress. 

While having dedicated time for self-care is paramount, an individual doesn’t necessarily have to engage in the same self-care routines each day. Likewise, finding different ways to celebrate accomplishments at the end of the week or using personal time in new ways can all add variety and excitement to sober life. Moreover, working with family and peers to find new activities, ideas, and more can all help address the effects of recovery burnout as an alumnus. 

Recovery burnout can be exceptionally challenging to overcome and can have disastrous consequences if unaddressed. We at Hawaii Island Recovery embrace recovery and change as an ongoing journey, and we are committed to helping you prevent burnout and its effects for a sustainable and transformed sober future. From our continued outpatient support after alcohol, meth, or heroin addiction treatment to our community of peers, we create an atmosphere of change that celebrates accomplishments while addressing any new challenges that arise throughout the continued recovery journey. We are always just one call away. For more information on how we can help you recognize and overcome the effects of recovery burnout in your sober journey, call us today at (866) 390-5070.