Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the term “reprieve” as: a temporary suspension from execution or other pain and trouble. This couldn’t be a more fitting description of what taking the time to do a daily reprieve does for alcoholics and addicts alike. Staying sober, in one form or another, has a lot more attention to detail than most realize. This is where the politics of sobriety and recovery come in. Firstly, there are loads of people out there in recovery that don’t practice what we like to call “working an honest program.” This fundamental statement is a little more complex than it sounds. To be working an honest program means to be honest in all areas of your life. This means not just excluding the little daily white lies we tell people for no reason, but also being a person of integrity. Now were cooking a little bit. Integrity in my eyes is doing the same things behind closed doors as you would in front of people. Examples of this would be not stealing, cheating, or being abusive, etc- almost anything that would go against our society’s morals. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not going on a religious tirade right now. By all means, we all sin (as it’s put), but I don’t foresee that ending anytime soon. What I am saying, though, is that there are general guidelines and boundaries to being a “good person,” quote-unquote. Following the strategy of being a good person is how one maintains their sobriety. It is a constant conscious effort doing daily reprieves, but it’s worth it to help become the best you that you can be.
Catalog the Past or be Doomed in the Future
So when it comes to sobriety specifically and the various deviations of programs, it is proven time and time again that the practice of relapsing starts way before the actual act is performed. More times than not, a relapse will show up when we have been entertaining some form of negativity in our heads. It all starts in the mind. How often I see things going in fantastic directions for people, and then our dear ole friend complacency comes for a visit. Then after that takes hold, we start to lose gratitude, or we start taking things for granted. We start getting irritated about little things and our days begin to kind of seem boring and mundane. It’s amazing how quick this cycle of mindset can appear. Before we know it, life takes hold and just starts to become this dull task that we have to struggle through every day. This is all coming from personal experience, as well as detailed accounts from an assortment of people in the rooms. Stress begins to build up and all appreciation goes out the window. Daily reprieve and just maintaining some form of daily reflection can help to prevent this negative Nancy frame of mind that sets in. Oftentimes, we are not aware of something until we hit the brakes and take a second to look at life from a subjective standpoint. The world’s gone and gotten itself in a hurry and sometimes we need to remember to stop and smell the roses as we take some time for introspection. Discovering one’s self and what makes you tick can be one of the most liberating and confidence boosting feelings ever.
Another favorable method for a daily reprieve and taking a look at things would be through the power of writing. Pulling out a piece of paper and a pen can seem mundane and monotonous sometimes. We live in a world where necessity is important and everything else is an effort. It’s easy to forget that some of the things we don’t want to do are the ones that are going to better us. Kind of goes back to the cliché, “whatever doesn’t kill you will make you stronger.” Learning to journal or physically record with script and writing utensils is an important tool that can allow the author to get thoughts out on paper and literally vent to themselves. It’s truly fascinating how much of a difference it can make to replay thoughts and scenarios over and over in your head and never have any result or conclusion to come to. Then, as soon as you jot down said thoughts to paper and read them in front of your very own eyes, much of the time it can bring a whole new light to things. I often have most of my revelations and epiphanies as I’m reading. Something about seeing your day’s thoughts facing back at you brings a fresh context to the viewpoint and outcome of your daily reprieve.
If that doesn’t do it for you then maybe dripping some ink out of a pen and writing a list of what you were appreciative of that day helps. This can be one of the most therapeutic and inexpensive utensils we have easy access to. Creating a gratitude list of sorts for a daily reprieve can really open the eyes of the author and allow them to truly see some of the things physically in front of them. It doesn’t matter if you consider yourself to be extremely intelligent or uneducated; we all need some form of expression. Then you couple that expression with a little bit of introspection and voila- you have a way to continuously keep yourself in check. When we as individuals write about hardships and our daily struggles, it allows us to put things into perspective that would ordinarily be difficult to do mentally. Although as recommended before, keeping a mental list of our struggles can be a terrific outlet- it can also be confusing and heavy. It will really weigh you down after some period of time if too much attention is focused on the not so positive aspects. Writing out these things we’re thankful for can really allow some huge growth and change in a person’s perspective. It all takes just a little bit of practice and wanting to be a better version of yourself for every new day that our eyes open. Life- it’s been one of the hardest easy things I’ve ever attempted, but the daily reprieve shows me it’s all worth it in the long run.
What to Say at the End of the Day
It’s no secret that we all have our inner demons. Unfortunately, some people need to be pushed in the right direction to build the courage to face said demons. They can be intimidating, but well worth the battle. We know the real truth from our ever appearing daily manifestations. If you or somebody you know is struggling to overcome the monsters of addiction or alcoholism, please call us at 1-800-481-8457 or visit oarcstaging.wpengine.com. We are available anytime and would be more than thrilled to help you or your loved one learn about treatment options and sobriety. After all, helping is what it’s all about.