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September is Recovery Month, when we celebrate people who work hard every day to overcome problems with substance use or mental health struggles.
But as I think about it, “recovery” is bigger that overcoming behavioral health problems. Recovery is doing the things one needs to do to get back to a healthy condition. We can be in recovery from an accident or an illness or an injury.
We can also be in recovery from patterns of thinking that keep us from being healthy. These thoughts keep us working too hard and take the joy out of life. They keep us from taking good care of our bodies and our minds.
Here are a few thought patterns that I’ve had that kept me from being healthy—see if you recognize any of them:
- I have to do this [task]—I’m the only one who can do it right
- If I make a mistake everything will be ruined and it will be my fault
- I can’t bother someone else and ask for help—they have their own work and I’ll be a burden
- I’ll take care of myself after all the work gets done (which it never does)
Any of these sound familiar?
We have to notice when we are thinking in these unhelpful ways, and see that they are distorted thinking. By actively fighting against them we can recover our healthy and balance. Right now I’m working hard on that last bullet I listed–to tell myself that it’s ok to take a needed break, even if the laundry isn’t folded or I haven’t answered all my email.
See if you can catch yourself doing unhealthy thinking, and replace the thought with thinking that will help you recovery your health and your happiness.
It’s yet another way to keep thriving!
If you are interested, you can read more about Recovery Month here