Every January, people all over the world resolve to make their lives different; to turn over new leaves, kick bad habits, and develop healthy new ones. Setting goals for the New Year is admirable, and for many of us quite healthy. For those who are in recovery, and have already resolved to start living their best life, the resolution process can be a little bit complicated.

The temptation with any resolution is to make it too lofty, which is why so many resolutions are jettisoned by mid-month. Those who are in recovery cannot afford to set themselves up for failure. Rather than making a resolution to completely upend your life overnight, then, it’s more prudent to work on cultivating some healthy habits that are manageable, and that reinforce the recovery process.

New Year’s Resolutions to Support Your Recovery

Here are a few recommendations.

Resolve to maintain your therapy appointments. As life becomes busy, you may find yourself making excuses not to go to your therapy appointments; and, as you progress through your recovery, you may find yourself feeling like you don’t really need therapy any more. Therapy appointments are critical for maintaining your focus on the recovery journey, though—so resolve to keep showing up for all the meetings with your therapist, even on days when you feel like you don’t need to.

Resolve to join a support group. You need to talk to people who know what you’re going through. You need to lean on them, and to draw encouragement from their stories and experiences. If you’re not already in a support group, where you can get this encouragement, resolve to locate and join one in the coming year. (And do it sooner rather than later!)

Resolve to show self-love. One of the most challenging parts of eating disorder recovery is learning to be kind and patient with yourself. A practical way to address this is to establish some rhythms and routines of self-love. Resolve to spend some time pampering yourself—going for a monthly massage or giving yourself a weekly foot rub. Make some appointments with yourself—and keep them.

Resolve to develop a new outlet for stress. Another challenge for those in recovery is venting your anxiety and your stress properly. Make this the year you find a new hobby or activity that allows you to mitigate stress—whether it’s learning to draw, play guitar, run, do yoga, or something else altogether.

Resolve to share your story. Being honest and open about your recovery can be surprisingly cathartic. More than that, it can allow you to play a key role in someone else’s recovery, offering encouragement and solidarity. Consider signing up to speak at a local support group or similar event.

Resolve to seek the treatment that you need. Even those who have already been down the road to recovery—perhaps seeking inpatient treatment months or years ago—can find themselves in need of some additional clinical care. If you believe that you need to check back into a recovery center, don’t hesitate to reach out to Alsana and to request the help you need. You’re worth it!

Standing Strong in Your Recovery

The recovery process is something that requires ongoing commitment and engagement. New Year’s resolutions provide you with a unique way to re-energize your own recovery, and perhaps to encourage others, as well. Consider making some of these resolutions, and remember to contact Alsana to receive the care you need.

This post was originally published on Jan 2, 2017