Plan your Daily Reset.
A Daily Reset will help you to make space for self-care in your life through positive daily rituals and regular conversations with a support person. A Daily Reset can be as small as 15 minutes or as long as an hour.
Amity can help you work out a Daily Reset plan that helps you cope with the day-to-day pressures of your life. Our professional services are free and confidential, and you can phone or email for connection.
Here are a few tips that can help you prepare for successful change. They don’t take a lot of time.
It may be helpful to know there are a few key ingredients that can help your Daily Reset plan take shape.
Changing behaviours is hard. It takes persistence, and time. And sometimes, setbacks happen. This is an important time to persist in your change process.
If you are finding it too difficult on your own, reach out. We understand that the first step can be the hardest.
Action plan.
Making change happens gradually, so prepare by knowing when you are going to begin and how long you are going to try out this new behaviour to know if it’s working.
Here is a list of actions people often take at this stage of their drug taking change process, to help ensure the change sticks:
Plan
Write or record your plan (the more specific the plan is, the better the plan is)
Test
Pick a start date and test the plan.
Track
Prepare to keep track of your progress.
Successful planning looks like…
“Today, I am going to call my friend and tell them about my plan. Next Friday, I am going to start my plan. I will test it out for a month, and then see if I want to make any changes. If for some reason I struggle with this plan, I will call Amity for advice on what I can do to be successful next time.”
If you would like help to make a Daily Reset plan, reach out. That’s what Amity is here for.
Get help to beat your triggers.
Triggers are cues that make us want to act certain ways. They create urges. An urge to take drugs can happen unexpectedly – like job stress or an argument with a loved one. Or it can be predictable – like being with certain people or being in a particular kind of mood.
Amity can help you identify your triggers and to make a plan for when they come up.
When people begin thinking about changing their drug use habits, it can bring up mixed feelings. There may be things about your drug taking that are no longer enjoyable that you want to change. And there may be some things you really don’t want to give up. It is normal and healthy to think about the pros and cons of your drug taking.
Ideas for your Daily Reset
Plan some different activities for each day.
For some people, taking drugs can become an all-consuming habit to help you cope. If this happens, it is easy to forget about other things you enjoyed.
Make a short list of things you used to like doing, and that you would like to take up again. Make it a list you can achieve!
This is not a list about making the Olympics, but about everyday things you enjoyed in the past and might be useful for you to sustain your change process.
A daily ritual will help you to think about your ‘next move’ and help you to manage your urge to take drugs or delay the feeling that you need to take drugs.
Some examples of daily rituals to help you reset might include:
Creating a space in your house, in your garden, or even at the local park where you can take care of your mental and physical health during times of stress
Meditating, stretching, doing yoga, or just sitting still – in your chosen space, in nature or down at the beach
Walking the dog in the park each evening
Picking a good book and reading a few chapters every day
Walking to your favourite café to treat yourself to your favourite hot beverage
Planning what time you will head to bed each night and aiming for a minimum number of hours of sleep
Plan some weekly activities:
Get together with a friend or family member to go to the movies or plan an outing
Go for a drive out of town to visit a local swimming spot or park
Get back to an old hobby you used to enjoy
Join a sports team
Organise to catch up with a trusted friend each week
Ideas for your Daily Reset
Have regular conversations.
Having regular conversations with a support person or someone you trust really helps you to focus on the positive aspects of your life.
Your GP, health worker or Amity can be a good starting point for a conversation – you can discuss your concerns with them in private and they can help you find other services if you need more support.
Connecting with the right person can help you find the right services when you are ready. An important step can be the first one, and all it takes is a conversation.