10 Tips for Positive Self-Esteem after Rehab

When you come out of a drug rehab program it’s common to feel depressed and low. You’ve had to admit defeat in a way and that can be difficult to bounce back from. But take heart, it’s just a rough path. With every passing day and week of recovery, it gets that much easier and your addiction is that much further behind you. Take these 10 tips into account for staying positive and picking yourself back up in the early weeks of your addiction recovery.

1. Be Patient

Things won’t fix themselves overnight, it will take some time so ready your mind and will for the long haul.

2. Self-Esteem Does Not Come from Others

You and you alone are responsible for maintaining your mood and self-esteem. Don’t take these cues from others or rely on others to help you stay positive. It’s a battle inside of you and you have to stay centered and focused there.

3. One Day at a Time

Pace yourself early on and take things in small measures. It’s not all-or-nothing, this is a process of gradually getting better at managing triggers and cravings so don’t beat yourself up each time you wobble.

4. Feeling Bad isn’t Failure

When you’re feeling crappy and everything is grey, it can be tempting to think you’ve already failed but that’s not true. Bad days are part of the process. It’s only failure when you give up on yourself entirely and you’re not going to do that.

5. Avoid Put-Downs

While it may be tempting to beat yourself up for any perceived mistakes you may have made, this will only make it easier to relapse. Be good to yourself and build yourself up, don’t tear yourself down.

6. Filter Positively

The way we perceive reality is a filter for how the world affects us. Don’t see things as automatically negative, even when bad things knock on your door. Choose to filter out the bad stuff and only see the positive and uplifting parts of your everyday life. Sometimes they are small and hard to see while the negativity is a giant raging monster. Still... make the choice to see the good.

7. Forgive Yourself

Slipping and falling is part of the process too, you know. In order to move forward with a successful recovery, it’s important to first forgive yourself for the harm you’ve done. That’s how we move forward to make things better.

8. Surround Yourself with Positive People

One of the most important things you can do to build up a better outlook and self-esteem is to spend time with positive people who make this task easier, not more difficult. Positive people don’t make you feel ashamed of your failures, they inspire you and make you feel as though you can rise above and be great. Find these folks and do what you can to stay near their warmth.

9. Celebrate Your Successes

While you shouldn’t berate yourself for any failures or missteps, it’s also important to congratulate yourself and celebrate achievements. When you reach sobriety milestones, these are a big deal and should be celebrated. It creates positive reinforcement to keep going for the next one.

10. Help Others

There’s something very real about the benefit of altruism on self-esteem and mood. You should find ways to give to others, contribute to your community, and make the world a better place. The feedback you get, both from people and from your own positive emotions, will help you stay positive and moving forward on your road to a successful addiction recovery.