Prompt: Write about how you purposely change your attitude.
Attitude Adjustment
I’m amazed at the plethora of things I’ve come to embrace in sobriety when I’m looking for an attitude adjustment, to architect a change from a negative mindset to a positive one. Whereas it used to be I’d reach for a substance to numb or elate me (albeit temporarily), I now utilize several different practices to keep my attitude right.
The first thing I have recently been practicing in the morning is meditation, and coming back to the present moment through mindfulness. I was referred to a meditation app called Insight Timer, and I’m finding it particularly helpful for addressing my worry, fear and general anxiety in the morning. There is guided meditation, talks, even soothing music to listen to. I recommend this app to everyone!
The next thing I like to do to shift certain attitudes is to talk things out with another person. I have a phone conversation with my mom every morning. This is particularly helpful when I have excessive anxiety, fear and worry. Mom’s soothing words help me feel safe. So does talking to my husband Michael. I also credit weekly talks with my sponsor Shawn as being instrumental in helping me see possibilities for a healthier, spiritual way of living.
Challenging talks with my therapist Matt and psychiatrist led me to embrace a new physical exercise regimen as a way to improve my attitude, my mental and physical health, and my overall wellbeing. I’m taking a fitness class at the Schiller Park Rec Center and a pool exercise class at a health facility in Arlington. I had become very sedentary and really needed to just get moving. I’m proud of myself for taking the initiative to sign up for these classes.
Journaling and doing things like writing down my catastrophic fears of the future, then listing all the facts of where I am in the here and now, really help me shift from an attitude of crippling anxiety into serenity and calm. I have always loved expressing myself in the written word and I find it to be a most therapeutic exercise. I treasure our writing prompts in our writing group that we have each week, to spur us on to think and create something meaningful made up of words. The exercise is cathartic for me and feels good.
The fellowship I get from our writing group, from Shawn’s Monday Zoom group, and other AA meetings I attend also helps bring about a meaningful shift in my attitude and actions. Before AA, I leaned towards being isolated and lonely, but it’s not that way today. I have such an attitude of gratitude for my sober fellows I’ve met who are on this journey with me. I hope that my experience, strength and hope I’ve shared with them has helped somebody. Lord knows I’ve gotten a lot of help from them over the years.
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