8 Healthy Habits to Aid Addiction Recovery
Addiction recovery can be a long road full of difficult decisions and stressful memories. On this journey, maintaining sobriety can be a challenge but incorporating healthy habits into your daily life can help.
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Healthy Practices You Can Start Now
First things first: it’s essential that you have guidance on your path to recovery from a mental health professional. Use Superpow! to get matched with a therapist who’s the perfect fit for you and your needs. Next, implement some or all of these simple ways to get healthy that you can start right now to support your sobriety:
Getting Outdoors
Nature has refreshing, restorative powers. In fact, there is evidence that shows that outdoor therapy programs do help people in recovery. However, you don’t have to enroll in an “outbound” program to get these benefits. Getting started can be as simple as going outside for a short walk each day or taking a hike through the nearest nature trail on your downtime. Fifteen minutes of sunshine per day is all you need to boost vitamin D levels.
Finding a Healthy Place to Live
It’s absolutely vital that you live in an environment that complements your recovery. If your current living situation makes it difficult for you to maintain your sobriety, consider moving. Use an online calculator to figure out what you can afford. It might be that it’s cheaper in the long run for you to buy your own home and rent a room out, perhaps to someone who’s also in recovery, to help you cover the mortgage.
Starting A Hobby
A hobby can help you to avoid boredom, which can be dangerous for recovering addicts. This article from Scientific American explains how boredom can lead to risky behaviors such as taking drugs. A new hobby lets you develop your creativity, meet new people, and experience something engaging that is not harmful. If you find something new and interesting to try, like gourmet cooking or playing an instrument, old habits and haunts won’t tempt you as much.
Cultivating Mindfulness
The unconscious mind is a powerful tool that can bring on a relapse. This Naked Mind writes that we trust our experiences, even when they are incorrect or misleading. That can lead to thinking such as, “Alcohol provides enjoyment” or “Alcohol is key to social interactions.” Being mindful of these deceptions is an important step in breaking unhealthy patterns of behavior. Techniques such as rational recovery can help you put your rational mind back in charge to defeat cravings and temptations.
Meditating Daily
Meditation can support your recovery as well. It will help reduce stress and bring clarity. It can also boost happiness and it has physical benefits too, such as lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of anxiety attacks. Learn more benefits of meditation that can help you at The Art Of Living.
Learning To Say “No”
It’s often too easy to load up on things you think you must do, especially if you feel guilty: duties, obligations, making up for lost time. Remember, though, that you need space for your recovery. You don’t have time for everything and taking on too many things at once will lead to stress and anxiety. Instead of saying “yes” to everything asked of you, you must prioritize which things will benefit you and your valued loved ones the most.
Getting Fit
Engaging in a regular fitness routine is a great habit to develop. Before starting a program, ask your doctor what kind of exercise routines you can safely do. Aside from the physical benefits, regular exercise can improve your sleep, boost your confidence, and keep you occupied. Pick something that interests you so you’ll be motivated to keep going.
Eating Healthy
While your body is detoxing from substance use, it’s a good time to support it with a healthier diet. Start reducing sugary treats and replace them with healthy snacks like fruit, vegetables, nuts and hummus. Reduce your red meat intake and replace it with healthy options including fish or plant-based proteins. Buy less pre-packaged foods and cook at home more often. Don’t forget to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day as well to help clean out your body.
These simple changes can have a powerful impact on the health of your body and mind, and that can help you make progress on your journey to recovery!
Tina Martin started her career in business administration but eventually decided to pursue something that actually inspired her: becoming a personal fitness instructor. She is working on her first book, Ideaspired: Put Your Ideas, Your Inspiration, and Yourself First to Make Your Dreams Come True. She also started ideaspired.com as a side project to reach as many people as possible, and encourage them to put their dreams first.