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Service is the Solution

BALM | December 26, 2014

In addiction and early recovery, family members can feel left out or all alone during the holiday season.

Remembering the 7th BALM® C, “You are always at choice!” can help a family member make a decision to not allow another person’s seeming disinterest or unavailability sting so much.

What choices can you make today to bring holiday cheer into your life and that of those in your home and community? Make a list of your ideas and start to implement them NOW!

In case you need help getting your list started, here are some ideas:
1. Call someone you know who is alone this season and make plans to do something fun together.
2. Take a long walk and, with a big smile on your face wish those you meet a happy holiday all along the way.
3. Call a homeless shelter and offer to volunteer.
4. Buy a bunch of blankets and distribute them to street people.
5. Write letters to the people you love and let them know you care.
6. Start a blog and share your wisdom with others.
7. Cook a stew, put servings in tupperwares and distribute them to people without food.
8. Go to an Alanon meeting and find someone who needs help and share your wisdom about recovery with them.
9. Make a gratitude list every morning, put the things you are grateful for on an index card or in a journal that you carry with you throughout the day. Whenever you feel sad or lonely, take out the list, add more things you are grateful for to it.
10. Breathe through each moment. When anxiety or fear hit, breathe in to the count of four. Hole your breath to the count of four and let it go to the count of eight. Repeat this until the uncomfortable feelings dissipate. Look around you at the sky, the snow, the trees, and bring yourself back into the moment and out of your head.
11. Limit the time you allow yourself to grieve or mourn what might have been to a specific amount of time each day (no more than 30 minutes to one hour) and for the rest of the day, stay in the moment and out of your head. Find someone to help! Find something fun or meaningful to do!
LIVE and let live!
12. Enjoy the season by bringing yourself into the moment and finding someone to serve!

Love,

Bev

If you have a question you would like to have addressed in this blog, send me an email at bbuncher@familyrecoveryresources.com .