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sitting here thinking which can be dangerous that while there are daily crisis, insanity, depression, etc wouldn't it be helpful to have daily routines to be pro active using al anon tools for a good mind set rather than dig out the tools to use as needed
the biggest goal to me is keeping the mind in recovery mode with the prayers, slogans and routines day in and day out heard one example of reading & prayers in morning to start day and another about checking their gut & how they felt each night
my first baby steps have got to be to take care of myself better like remembering to eat, sleep enough and just do it, whatever it is! while starting anew, might as well add healthier routines that include a lot of the tools of al anon, like does any one review slogans daily?
what are routines to add al anon tools to your day that have really helped you, is it a plan or used as needed appreciate any thoughts you all might have.........
thks, ddub
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"Choices are the hinges of destiny." Pythagoras You can't change the past, but you can change the future.
Great question ,ddub the first thing I used was the slogan First things First I usually had a list a mile long of things to do and rarley got thru half of it , which left me open to an argument from the alcoholic , and made me feel guilty , so i would take my list , sit down and prioritize it what needed to be done NOW was top of the list ,as I did those things and put aline thru accomplished tasks it felt great . and low and behold everything on the list eventually got done . One day at a time , I changed that to One room at a time for house cleaning I would start cleaning and move from room to room never actually completing anything and by 5 the house looked worse than when i started . so I started one room at a time , pick one and don't leave til everything in the room was done then move on to the next . will never forget the day i put that into practice and u could actully see that I had cleaned house. Another of my fav was Live and let live . once I separated my stuff from his there was really not alot for me to do , I stopped running around paying bills he couldn't be bothered with , I stopped shopping for his clothes which he didn't like anyway , I would end up going back to the store a dozen times til I found something he liked . sheeeeeeesh allowing people to be who they need to be is still the hardest part of recovery for me . but we all have a right to live our lives the way we choose . I love How important is it ? my need to be right was one of my biggest defects. but trying to convince an A that i was right is futile , but was an argument worth the serenity i was finding in m y home ? NO it wasn't so I learned to let things go and stopped arguing . Someone asked me once , if u had a choice would u rather be LOVED or RIGHT ? not much of a choice . that little gem stopped alot of stupid arguments in our home . these are just a few that helped me change my life for the better . Al-Anon principles changed my life for the better and has improved every relationship I have . goodluck Louise
Great topic! For me, I do my daily praying in the morning. My prayer starts out with "God Thank You for..." and I list the things I am grateful for today. I then pray for other people, nothing specific but just that God is there for them, and then I ask God to remove whatever obstacle is in my way today so I can do his work and hear his message. I also close each night with my Al-Anon readings. I
n between, I eat 3 meals a day, get to bed at a decent hour, try to walk or run a few times a week. I've learned to schedule at least 1 fun outing and 2 phone calls to friends a week so i don't isolate. I also attend 2 meetings a week. This keeps me balanced and emotionally I can talk out my feelings and connect with others. This, for me, makes a WORLD of difference. I have a tendency to isolate and keep to myself. Opening up and being with others is the greatest change for me.
For me there are three main focuses...first, the get busy get better slogan helps me every time. I used to think I was just overwhelmed, then I realized my response was slightly depressive. Just getting up and getting moving always gets my momentum back and I accomplish things I feel good about. Next, I am being more selfish...I am carefull not to reach out to those people in my life that tend to suck me dry with needs. I am apt to call folks alot....each day when I reach to pick up the phone, I think twice and think am I going to get something out of this myself? Next, I always run through in my mind my kids when I am about to do something....is this the right thing to do say, person to meet etc....they really bring out my best and strongest self and I use them as a guide....my HP sort of.
Then ....3 meals, good sleep, exercise, reflective writing, being gentle with myself, going to therapy.
Thanks for the question. Feels to to realize there really are things I do each day to keep me in recovery.
