This month’s topic is springing forward, and to me springing forward means leaving the past behind and getting on with my life. Spring is a time of awakening, of new life, and is the perfect time to move forward passed whatever is holding me back.
After completing treatment, going back to our “normal” isn’t as easy as picking up where we left off. We go through a lot during our recovery. We grow and change a lot, and whether we like it or not, the recovery process becomes a big part of our lives.
Going back to our previous lives is difficult because we grow accustomed to living with recovery being a major part of our lives. We cannot simply go back to being the same people we were before.
It is because we cannot simply go back to our old lives that we must spring forward into our new, recovered lives.
For some, this may mean rediscovering previous interests, while for others, it can mean starting new hobbies or getting involved in extracurricular activities.
If you are in school, this could mean joining a club or volunteer organization. It could mean getting involved in a church or other activities you enjoy with people you enjoy.
For me, after my recovery I got back into cycling, but with a much healthier attitude towards it. I have spoken about this before, but to sum it up, I learned to take enjoyment in the experience of cycling and the camaraderie, rather than simply pushing myself to achieve a goal.
Recently, I have also gotten involved with my church’s orchestra. I played trombone all throughout middle school and most of high school, both in concert and jazz band, and I really enjoyed it.
Unfortunately, I stopped my sophomore year, partly due to my eating disorder causing me to lose interest. I am a little rusty, but I am really enjoying getting back into music.
Leaving the recovery process behind and discovering a life in recovery can be quite daunting.
The recovery process changes us, and the things we did before our eating disorders can become completely lost. And I for one wouldn’t want to go back to the person I was because I learned a lot from the recovery process that I wouldn’t want to give up.
For me, the best way I rediscovered a new life after recovery was by filling my newly discovered free time with hobbies and wholesome activities, whether they were activities taken from me by my eating disorder or new hobbies I had never had time to discover before.
During this spring season of awakening and new life, I challenge you to reclaim an old hobby that was taken away from you by your eating disorder or to discover a new hobby you enjoy.
If your experience is anything like mine, you will find these new hobbies help you leave your eating disorder in the past.
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