October 29 (96)

”The journey is the reward.” Taoist proverb

It came to my attention during a recent meeting that I haven’t really looked at renewing my reward system. For years there was only one real train of thought that I followed and I hadn’t recognized in my recovery that this system needed to be updated. I didn’t even know really where to start, so I had to ask for help. The best advice I had was to start looking at things that I like to do. Reading for enjoyment is one of my favorite pastimes and it is something that has fallen by the wayside. So either borrowing a book from the library or buying one that I like to read and setting aside some me time to enjoy became a reward on my list. Watching a good movie can also be a healthy reward for me. I also need to be aware of other rewards that can be less of a good choice. Food is a touchy one for me, a nice meal is okay, but junk food is not as I can use it to compensate rather than reward. The importance is to understand if what I choose is truly a reward or an escape. It’s all about learning new ways to cope, which includes finding new ways to treat myself that are positive and support my recovery. This is an important aspect of my program to help ensure I don’t replace one addiction with another.

Affirmation Rewards are as important as my coping mechanisms and I will reflect on the ways that I can treat myself in a healthy way today.