Once you’ve decided to get clean and sober, the world is your oyster.  There are endless opportunities out there waiting for you to tackle what life has to offer.  Your life was once consumed by drugs and alcohol, making it impossible for you to achieve goals you once had.  Many people make the decision to continue their education in sobriety.  It can be one of the greatest and most rewarding decisions you will make for yourself. Although going back to school can be one of the most beneficial decisions that you make, you need to understand that it isn’t your life.  Sobriety needs to come first.  Without sobriety, there is no school.  As you enroll and begin to take classes, it will feel exhilarating.  You will feel a great sense of pride, which is likely a foreign concept.  Once you get deep into classes and the work keeps pouring in, it can become overwhelming and stressful.  The excitement and bliss that once was begins to slip away.  This is why it is so important to develop coping skills.  Effective coping strategies are not only imperative in relationships, they carry through to every aspect of our lives. Addicts and alcoholics are overachievers by nature.  They tend to take on way more than they can handle.  It is important to find a balance.  Your first semester should consist of only one or two classes, at least until you are able to figure out your personal workload.  Time management in school is key.  When you have deadlines for projects and papers, in addition to whatever else you have going on in your life, it can be overwhelming.  Learning simple mindfulness techniques can calm your soul and help to develop a strategic plan to tackle assignments.  You will probably have many different assignments at once and may not be sure where to begin.  Taking a few minutes for meditation can be super beneficial.  It will help you achieve serenity so you can successfully prioritize your time.  Mindfulness enhances your mental and physical well-being by altering cortisol levels and balancing neurotransmitters in the brain.  Remembering a to practice daily mindfulness when going back to school is the key to successful completion.  Life is offering you endless opportunities.  Now that you’re clean and sober, you have a long life ahead of you.  Don’t take on more than you can handle.  When sobriety comes first, everything else usually falls into place, sometimes quickly and other times slowly.
Your story is waiting to begin with the rest of your life. Treatment is the beginning of the journey that changes your story. At Oceanfront Recovery, a treatment facility in Orange County, California, we believe that when you change your story, you change your life. Call us today for information on our programs for treatment, including our exclusive executive track. 877.279.1777
