September is National Recovery Month, and all across the country, people will be hosting events and celebrations for those in the recovery community.
It’s a time to celebrate your personal milestones in recovery, the recovery of all those who have come before you, will come after you, as well as the efforts of everyone who makes recovery possible.
While National Recovery Month provides you with plenty of opportunities to celebrate recovery with a community of peers, milestones in recovery don’t always fall within the month of September.
We’re going to celebrate recovery anyways.
Today we’re going to give you seven of the best ways you can celebrate with family and friends throughout the years for different milestones in recovery, not just during Recovery month.
Celebrating recovery
The beauty of celebrating recovery is there is no one way to do it. We’re going to share with you seven (genuinely) fun ways to celebrate milestones in your recovery.
1. Spend the day treating yourself
It can be so easy to get accustomed to going through the motions of recovery (and even life in general) that we forget to celebrate how far we’ve come. Whether you’re a few weeks, months or years into recovery, give yourself permission to cherish this time in your life. You-in-the-past might not have believed this life was possible for you, but now you’re living it. Celebrate that.
2. Enjoy a spa day
Recovery is rough, we’re not going to sugarcoat it. There are times when it’s so challenging all you can do is take the day minute by minute; it often feels impossible to relax when you’re in the active throes of recovery, but you can do that now. Whether this day is at a formal spa center or simply a chill day at home with foot masks and a movie, allow yourself this time to truly relax.
3. Go out and celebrate
Whether this looks like going out to dinner, enrolling in a unique class, trying something you’ve always wanted to (maybe scuba diving, skydiving, taking a ride in a helicopter over some beautiful scenery), grab a friend and go have a blast.
4. Host an intimate party
Sometimes the best way to celebrate something important is to keep the celebration small and intimate. You can invite your closest family and friends, offer easy snacks or do a potluck-style meal (so no one person gets overwhelmed with providing the food), and enjoy a fun evening surrounded by people who love you dearly.
5. Go on a weekend getaway
When you imagine having an incredible weekend in a fresh location, who do you want enjoying that experience with you? A parent, sibling, friend, partner or would you prefer it by yourself? Consider visiting an organic farm, the mountains, the beach or a state or national park (depending on if and which is closet). Weekends away are often more healing than we realize.
6. Create a memento
Whether you have the artistic skills of a great painter, like woodworking, or find joy in abstract creations, consider crafting something to celebrate your progress. Dive deep, and artistically create something to acknowledge and remember how far you’ve come.
7. Slow down and cherish this
Sometimes the best way to celebrate isn’t going out or hosting a party, but slowing down and truly savoring the reason for the celebration. Maybe this looks like taking the time to journal, meditate, and reflect on your journey; it could also be taking a few hours (or the whole day) to immerse yourself in a natural environment and really basking in the fact you’re alive.
Reach out for support
Bluff Augusta provides personalized, evidence-based treatment that has proven to be effective at helping people achieve and maintain long-term recovery.
We’ve composed a team of experienced nurses, psychiatric providers, therapists, counselors and nutritionists, all of who are experts in addiction treatment. Our compassionate team of experienced individuals are just one aspect of our premier addiction rehabilitation services.
Our approach combines a comprehensive assessment, medical care, multifaceted treatment modalities, holistic therapies and relapse prevention to best set you up for a successful sober life.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a substance use disorder, send us a message or give us a call.