I am sure you have probably heard the phrase, “You need to be selfish in your recovery”. So then why all this talk about being of service? The secret is that while you are helping others, you are actually helping yourself. So lets dive in and take a look at why being of service is important, ways you can get involved, and some common mistakes people make while trying to do so.
Why Is Being Of Service Important In Sobriety?
In early sobriety, it is easy to feel lost and confused about the next steps to take. Anxiety, negative thoughts, and fear of relapse might have you all worked up. Being of service can help you stay focused on your goals and give you a sense of purpose.
Additionally, it just helps to get you out of your own head and stop thinking so much. In these ways, being of service can help keep you sober. It also gives you the chance to ask for help if you need it.
Connecting With Others
Addiction thrives in isolation. Feeling alone and disconnected is a pretty common experience, especially at the beginning of your recovery journey. In contrast, being of service fosters connection and helps build meaningful relationships. Community plays a big part in any recovery plan and service work helps you find that sense of belonging.
With Community Comes Support
Building a support network is an essential part of sobriety. Luckily, being of service to others gives you opportunities to meet new people.
If you are newly sober, this provides a chance to build a foundation of support. Furthermore, it keeps you engaged and out of isolation.
“Those who are happiest are those who do the most for others.” – Booker T. Washington
On the other hand, if you have a little time under your belt, it allows you to meet new friends and expand your social circle. Regardless of where we are in life, a little bit of added support can always be a good thing.
Experience And Learn New Skills
Service work is an excellent way to learn new skills. Namely, communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and leadership. These skills will help you not only in recovery, but in your personal and professional life as well. Developing these traits builds confidence and can make you more resilient. Futhermore, being of service teaches you to be adaptable.
Being of service helps get you out of your comfort zone and allows you to experience new things. Volunteering your time to go and plant trees or work in a community garden might inspire you to take on a new hobby. Either way, it can help you get out of your shell and improve your overall wellbeing.
Promotes Gratitude and Understanding
Helping others, especially those less fortunate, can foster gratitude. Sometimes get caught up in our negative thoughts and it can make it hard to see the positive aspects of our lives. Helping someone who is going through a hard time helps us realize that our problems aren’t that bad.
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” – Mahatma Gandhi
Helping others in sobriety can be one of the most effective ways to strengthen your own sobriety. If you are considering using, helping another addict can remind you why you chose to get sober. Not only that but focusing your attention on someone else can take your mind off of the urge to use.
Often times, being of service lets us see our problems in a new light. We may realize that it’s not that important, or we may gain insight into the situation depending on what it is. In any case, service work allows us to see that we are not alone in our struggles and can remind us of the things that we are grateful for in our lives.
Emotional And Mental Wellbeing
Being of service in sobriety will improve your mental and emotional well-being. Research shows that helping others actually helps reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. What’s more, is that it keeps you mind focused on something positive (helping someone) which can boost your self esteem. Helping others is an easy and simple way to build self worth.
It fosters compassion and empathy toward others, while improving communication skills. Overall, being of service in sobriety helps keep you motivated in recovery. It builds new relationships and helps us feel better about ourselves. This is why service work is an important part of recovery.
Different Ways To Be Of Service
There are thousands, if not millions of ways we can be of service to others. From helping a friend move, to volunteering our time. In other words, it’s not what you are doing that’s important. As long as you are focusing your attention on helping someone else, that is what matters. That being said, here are some easy ways to be of service in sobriety.
- Making coffee and setting up at your local meeting
- Volunteering at a soup kitchen
- Volunteering to go speak at schools about addiction
- Cleaning up a local park
- Being a sponsor to someone
- Supporting someone else in recovery
- Helping a local food bank
Service Work Mistakes
Being of service in sobriety has quite a few benefits. That being said, there are some things to watch out for. Sometimes helping others can become an unhealthy priority.
While service work can be a noble thing, it’s still important to take care of yourself. You don’t want to end up neglecting your own needs.
Sometimes people have a hard time saying no and end up taking on more than they can handle which in turn, leads to stress and burnout. Similarly, sometimes people use helping others as a way to avoid dealing with their own problems. Eventually, the satisfaction they get from helping others isn’t enough to distract them from the problems they’ve been ignoring. In any case, these situations can end up leading to relapse if things go unchecked.
Elijah M’aidez is a recovering addict/alcoholic. He is a peer support worker, recovery coach, and author. He hopes to encourage others working in the field, and bring more attention to the benefits of peer support. Right now, he is working with people struggling with addiction and mental health, as well as those who are re-entering society after being incarcerated.
