The pressures of everyday life can sometimes take a toll on a person, and you find yourself succumbing to harmful coping strategies. It is tempting to indulge in addictive behavior like alcohol or drug consumption. However, such indulgences only offer a short-term reprieve and can be fatal in extreme circumstances.
The antidote for dealing with life’s challenging circumstances is to take accountability and own your setbacks. Sometimes, you may not realize it when you avoid responsibilities. The signs that you could be evading accountability include losing interest in work, missing deadlines, avoiding risks and taking initiatives, making excuses, etc.
When you assume responsibility, you are unlikely to indulge in harmful coping mechanisms and save yourself from the painstaking process of recovering from addictions. Taking accountability becomes easier through repeated actions. Below are things you can do to make accountability easier and live addiction-free.
Stop the Blame Game
People who do not take responsibility for the consequences of their actions blame everyone else for the outcomes. Such people do not realize they have a role to play in the events. When there is an undesirable consequence, you look for faults in the involvement of other people.
It could be that others are partly at fault, but excluding yourself from wrongdoing even though you were part of the process reveals unaccountability. The blame game is often an easy way out when you do not want to deal with being held accountable for your actions.
Such a stance could be due to unresolved traumas early in life. For example, you may have encountered unattentive/unforgiving caregivers. Low self-esteem could also cause using blame games to avoid reprimand. However, avoiding responsibility by blaming others aggravates your coping mechanism resulting in failed ventures and a life of misery.
Self-Reflection
Self-reflection is taking stock of your past actions, evaluating and meditating on them to understand yourself better. Self-reflection enables you to give a third-eye and objective overview of your decisions and their consequences. Consequently, you will identify poor choices and also the good ones that made you thrive.
The reflection makes you aware of your feelings, thoughts, actions, etc., to ensure you know your bad habits to replace them with good ones. Most importantly, you can identify particular trends of behavior that often result in harmful consequences.
For a successful self-reflection exercise, select a quiet environment without distractions like phones, people, and other interruptions. In such calmness, pull up memories, especially those involving conflict and undesired outcomes. Think about how you would have done things differently to avoid regret later. The introspection will help you take charge if presented with a similar situation in the future and recognize your role in making things better.
Talk About It
Talking through things is a proven way to release pent-up frustrations when you are troubled or dealing with challenging circumstances. Bottling things up causes tension and compromises your mental health in the long term. Sharing your troubles with others enables you to take charge of your well-being, hence accountability to yourself.
You may feel uncomfortable sharing your predicament with people around you or that there is no one available worthy of confiding in. You can opt for a professional therapist to alleviate your situation. There are several experts to consult, like drug rehab services in Brooklyn, New York, to access therapy and other rehabilitation care.
As you talk to a third party, be ready to listen to them when they offer different perspectives. The people who know and care about you can provide critical insights on how to take a differing course of action for better results. Therapists will weigh your current situation based on the personal information you provide and offer helpful guidance.
Prioritize Yourself
People who are caregivers to others in society or have been responsible for other people for an extended period tend to subordinate their needs over others. It is noble to care for others, but when you put their needs before yours every time, you neglect yourself and suffer burnout. Prioritizing yourself is taking responsibility for your well-being before you can care for others.
To be accountable, practice self-care activities that make you feel good about yourself. Indulge in hobbies like meditation, journaling, and spending time in nature, among other leisure. Such activities rejuvenate you and give you alone time to think about things you want to do for yourself.
You will be a better caregiver in your prime mental state than attempting to be responsible for others when suffering from psychological depletion. Devote some time for self-care activities and establish a routine around them. Do not be guilted into replacing self-care activities by attending to others.
Take Accountability and Live Healthily
The first step of taking accountability in life is realizing that you are responsible for your state of mind. You may not be able to influence life adversities, but you can control how you respond to them. People sail through challenging circumstances and overcome them, not because it is easier for them but because they make specific choices to thrive. Take accountability for your life and live healthily.
