We start to adopt patterns in the early stages of life. When you create patterns, the process makes a flow that you follow through with life. Patterns can be positive, or they can be negative. When patterns become disruptive or stop following logical reasoning, they create a piece of unhelpful information embedded into your mind. By learning to change your patterns in a positive direction, the recovery process becomes easier. What are some positive patterns that you can adapt to throughout treatment and recovery?
Before identifying positive patterns, understanding cognitive reasoning will give you a better sense of your competence and self-control. Cognitive reasoning dives into the way you react, whether it is physically or emotionally. There is a logic behind the reasoning. Cognitive reasoning develops with emotions, beliefs about situations, challenges, discoveries, and personal conditions.
Logical reasoning uses rational thinking to give you insight into what’s right versus wrong. However, when your reasoning is interrupted by outside forces such as substance use, logical reasoning is distorted. Your thoughts and feelings influence your decisions and how you feel emotionally.
For example, if you feel that someone is treating you unfairly, you might react with anger or frustration. The logic in your brain separates the situation and the emotion, then puts two and two together to give you a reaction. How you train your mind in cognitive reasoning determines your reactions. If you train your brain to react negatively through various situations, your logical reaction is more inclined to be negative.
The same goes for positive reactions. Your thoughts will come and influence you to feel on a day-to-day basis. Training your cognitive reasoning to react with control reduces potential negative outcomes and increases positive outcomes.
Substances may cause errors in your logical reasoning. Establishing positive patterns redirects your previous logical thinking, which was influenced by substances. The redirection will form into rational thoughts about the situation and produce results with logical reasoning about the experience while you choose the outcome of your behaviors and actions.
Making yourself accustomed to positive thoughts is part of the recovery process. However, you can’t force yourself to feel exclusively positive. You need to train yourself how to react and choose the right decisions to build your confidence. When you follow a predictable positive pattern, you take the proper steps to eliminate old habits and form them into productive habits.
A positive pattern you can do every day is to work on changing your mindset and your behavior. You can use coping mechanisms to address your mindset the moment you wake up. These coping mechanisms will help with distress, developing self-respect and honesty on a day-to-day basis.
Training yourself to do this on a day-to-day basis establishes healthier behaviors that form into habits. Many individuals start the day by praying or meditating. This sets the tone for their mindset, which influences their actions and behaviors throughout the day.
Next, create a daily to-do list or a daily goal. These methods can give you an outline of what your day is going to look like. Preparing yourself for the daily unforeseen events better prepares you to react with logical reasoning and have positive patterns throughout recovery.
Your day may include group therapy sessions, reading recovery literature, practicing coping mechanisms and techniques, engaging in physical activities, eating healthy and staying hydrated, or making personal connections with others that understand your situation.
After you create your daily list and you have your mindset in line to be productive and positive throughout the day, your next step is to pursue the goals on your daily checklist. Many people choose to avoid following their outline. Occasionally, unforeseen events occur, or people get bored, and they are more likely to be triggered or fall back into old negative patterns. Therefore, it is vital to be actionable about your list and remember your mindset after meditation.
Your positive mindset may be challenged throughout the day, and the best idea to keep yourself aligned in a positive direction is to give something back. When you open up your mind to being positive, you automatically want to share that positivity with others.
Find a way to fuel other’s lights in addition to your own, as you never know who might need it on a day-to-day basis. Giving back to others can include giving a compliment to your peers, discussing an experience in a meeting, or setting an example of positivity. Your daily patterns can establish a positive direction in your life and help you adopt a routine and a mindset. Then, you can begin every day with a refreshed perspective.
At NorthStar Transitions, we understand the goal of recovery is to give you back the power of control that the substance use took from you. By establishing positive patterns in recovery, you can adapt more quickly and reestablish your logical reasoning. Using a daily checklist for eating healthy and helping others around you creates a positive direction that pushes you to maintain your commitment. However, there are multiple occasions where positive patterns are difficult to maintain. Our compassionate team of therapists understands the aspects of living a positive and substance-free life, but it requires patience and persistence. You can establish a lifestyle pattern with training and treatment. For more information on how you can establish positive patterns and adapt through recovery with NorthStar Transitions, reach out to us today. We know recovery takes work, but in the end, your positive patterns will push you towards a life worth living. You can call us anytime at (303) 558-6400.
