When it comes to addiction, the hard work doesn’t stop when checking out of a clinic or rehab centre. In fact, the hard work has only just begun.
Whether you’ve struggled with cannabis addiction, alcohol, gambling or any other form, staying on track and working your way back into everyday society, where the temptations are high, is a mammoth task. But a task that so many achieve.
Then there’s getting your career back on track. To battle addiction you’re ultimately going to have to take time out from work to concentrate solely on yourself. Once you feel in a good position to kick off a career again, then there are some must know tips to help you do so…
Understand the Stress Levels
Stress is one of the key components of addiction and throwing yourself back into a stressful role could be a trigger into relapse.
Regardless of addiction, entering a new role you need to have a good understanding of the stress levels the job will involve and whether that suits your state of mind and personality. That is a heightened priority when in recovery.
In stressful roles, however, you can utilise the coping mechanisms you have learnt during time in rehab to ensure you stay clean. These are ultimately transferable skills that can aid stress too.
Rebuild Relationships and Reach Out to Contacts
If down the years you’ve had success in your career and built some solid relationships before taking a break to concentrate on your health, then reach back out to former contacts.
Utilising contacts is one of the best ways to start rebuilding a career and whether it be an old colleague, old boss, or even friends and family, you’ll often find that if you’ve previously built a solid rapport, they’ll be keen to help.
Naturally, that might involve some rather difficult or awkward conversations, but that would be the same going into a job interview with a business and boss that didn’t know you at all, likely picking holes in the gaps in your CV. It’s important to be honest should that occur, and speaking to familiar faces that you trust can be a much easier option.
Think Carefully About What You Want to Do
If you’re ready to get back into the workplace following the treatment process of addiction, you can really open your options up. Consider that time in rehabilitation as a clean break.
While many people look to pick up their careers from where they left off, others go down a completely different path, prioritising what they enjoy and what they want out of a healthy work-life balance.
Consider carefully what career route you wish to go down, as after all a previous job could have been what drove you to addiction in the first place.
That may mean you are starting from the bottom up, or even trying to build your own business, but if that is a more fulfilling option for you, then take it with both hands.
Make Sure You Prioritise Your Health
At every stage of rebuilding your career, in whatever shape that may take, you always need to prioritise your health. Especially in the very early stages.
Your career is, of course, important but should you take your eye off the ball with your recovery it can lead to relapse, which will start the whole journey off again or worse still, have more catastrophic consequences on your health, wellbeing, and those around you.
Staying sober is the most vital thing in your life, and if you are upfront with employers then they may even have initiatives and representatives in place for you to touch base with and keep both your health and career on track.