Addicaid - Addiction Recovery Support
Stress is a difficult emotion to avoid. A lot of time we experience stress for no apparent reason. Sometimes stress can be useful and help us to motivate in a timely manner. Other times stress can be debilitating and cause all sorts of negative reactions. Having the proper response to dealing with stress can ensure that it does not persist.
While in recovery, stress is often considered a trigger. Situations that make you uncomfortable, pressured, and anxious tend to increase your desire to use. Learning how to handle stress can prevent lapse and relapse. Dealing with stress immediately will diminish its impact on your well-being.
Here are our favorite methods for dealing with stress head-on:
Exercise: Exercise is a great way to minimize your stress. Pent up anger and energy can easily diminish with physical activity. There’s no better way to release stress-releasing endorphins than going for a fast pace walk or jog, lifting weights, or trying out a new fitness class. As a result, exercise will help clear your mind while simultaneously relieving stress.
Healthy Habits: Balancing your eating and sleep is crucial to dealing with stress. Getting a full night’s sleep will allow you to respond more rationally to anything that comes your way. Staying away from caffeine and refined sugars will maintain your energy throughout the day while keeping you full and focused. Keeping up your physical health day to day will promote better mechanisms for dealing with stress. A healthy body means a happy mind.
Yoga and Meditation: Yoga and meditation are both practices that emphasize breathing, relaxation, and mindfulness. For example, breathing exercises will help to slow down your heart rate. Furthermore, this form of reflection will help you put things into perspective and ease any immediate anxiety you are experiencing. Ultimately, taking extra time to gather your thoughts will help you make a more effective and responsible decision.
Hobbies: Instead of focusing all your time and energy into a problem, pick up a hobby to give yourself a new focus. Making time for fun is extremely important in the grand scheme of living a balanced life. Also, hobbies are a good way to distract your focus during free time. Hobbies will help you fight stress by spending your time doing something pleasant and productive.
Support Systems: A strong support network is critical for stress management and relapse prevention. Whether it is made up of family and friends or a support group you attend, having people around to ensure your sobriety is necessary. Understanding that you will always have people to turn to in a crises strengthens your self-esteem. Therefore, a strong support system will keep you up when things become difficult.
Manage Your Time: Lots of stress is the result of poor time-management. By scheduling your time more effectively, you will experience less pressure. Planning out your day is a great way to stay on track and manage your priorities. Most of all, don’t forget to schedule time for activities you enjoy!
Try to Keep A Positive Attitude: Finally, remember that staying positive will assist you in your recovery. Regardless of the issue on the table, remembering your goal is important to seeing clearly. Practice expressing gratitude and mindfulness. Understanding the good in negative situations around you will improve your motivation and show you the upside in your day-to-day.