We all have different roles in life and just because you’re in recovery does not mean that you are not responsible for fulfilling those roles. In fact, you should make it a part of your recovery. Take some time and think about what your roles are. For example, are you a mother, father, child, brother, sister, teacher, boss, employee, etc.?

Are you fulfilling your role obligations? Write down exactly who you are and what you need to do to be that person. Making relationships a top priority can really help you through this journey.

How to take action

You can start right now by thinking of 5 roles you play.  Some common examples are these:

Parent

Child

Brother/sister

Friend

Employee

Cousin

Caregiver

Pet owner

If you don’t have 5 roles right now it’s okay. Start with as many as you can think of.

Next, under each role, write exactly what you are responsible for doing.

Example:

Friend: being available, offering support, having fun

Now, write down 1-2 achievable actions that you can do to be sure that you are keeping your responsibility to that person.

Example:

Friend: being available, offering support, having fun

• Call friend once per week
• Schedule time together at least twice per month

Be specific when writing this down.

Last, take action.

Example:

I will call my friend every Wednesday morning at 10am.

We will make plans to go see a movie this Saturday.

Keep doing this will all of your roles. You will be surprised how busy you will be. This will open up doors you never knew were closed.