Living a life of recovery requires a new set of skills. When you have emerged on the other side of addiction, maybe having gone through detox and rehab, you need a supportive team of understanding people around you to help promote and maintain a sober life. However, you also require a set of skills for coping and living with the struggles you may face in the days, weeks, and years ahead on your journey. Greater Boston Addiction Centers offers life skills training through our addiction therapy programs in Boston.
Life skills are the tools you possess to navigate everyday life’s many challenges successfully. These skills come naturally to some people, but most people must learn and develop them over time. Life skills training is a way to build knowledge, learn, and understand how and when to harness these skills. A life skills training program for adults will accomplish this through a mix of education and practice.
The advantages of developing life skills are evident. When you have a toolbox of techniques for dealing with difficult situations, you’re more likely to stay on the path of sobriety. Building these skills takes time and effort, but it’s worth it. Life skills training programs offer a chance to build a foundation for success in recovery.
There are several essential life skills that are universally relevant to people of all ages. Some of what you will learn in our life skills training program in Boston, MA include the following:
We communicate by what we say and what we don’t say. One of the most vital life skills is understanding the weight carried by how we communicate with the people around us every day. Some of the communication skills you may acquire include:
Despite the word creative, this skill isn’t necessarily about being an artist. Creative thinking allows you to see beyond the possibilities of your world as you know it and set new goals and ambitions for the rest of your life. By adding creative thinking to your toolbox in life skills training, new paths in life may open up for you.
Related to creative thinking, problem-solving is a life skill that allows you to see all sides of a situation and identify the best possible solution. Learning how to problem-solve can help you in your relationships, at work, and in other areas of your life.
In any situation, it’s essential to be able to roll with the punches and adapt to change. Being inflexible and unable to cope with change can lead to unnecessary stress, anxiety, and even relapse.
Unfortunately, disappointment and loss are inevitable throughout the course of a life. Resilience is a life skill that teaches you how to rebound and recover in a healthy manner from such sadness. You will feel negative emotions, anger, grief, and anxiety, but with resilience, you can recognize and deal with it in more positive ways.
Self-care is not just a modern buzzword but an essential life skill to ensure mental and physical well-being. When you first begin your new life of sobriety, self-care measures can start small. These steps can include:
Understanding the role of food, diet, and exercise in your life is an essential life skill to experience success in recovery from a substance use disorder. Learning how to cook for yourself will not only save you money but will instill a level of self-confidence and independence while keeping you out of potentially risky situations at mealtime in restaurants where alcohol could be present.
