“Self-care” is a buzzy term that’s commonly thrown around nowadays that usually makes us think of a bubble bath or going to the spa. But it’s much more than that, especially when it relates to someone recovering from addiction. It’s no secret that substance abuse impacts your mental health, physical health, relationships, job, and more. One of the main reasons life seems to fall apart amid substance use is that all self-care takes a back seat to drugs or drinking. If you’ve made the awesome decision to get sober and change your life for the better, our luxury drug and alcohol rehab in South Florida shares some tips for self-care in addiction recovery that can help.
Importance of Self-Care in Addiction Recovery
Self-care refers to any activity we do to better care for our mental, emotional, and physical health. Acts of self-care are designed to “recharge your battery,” reduce anxiety, improve your mood, and help you reset. Above all, self-care encourages you to prioritize yourself.
For individuals recovering from a drug or alcohol addiction, properly prioritizing before other obligations by caring for their minds, bodies, and spirits can be challenging. This is a far cry from prioritizing the use of harmful drugs and alcohol. A substance abuse disorder means neglecting everything in favor of that drug, and usually, this type of thinking leads to bad habits and damages the person’s physical and mental health.
During recovery, it’s important to take time to heal in these areas, and the best way to do this is to practice sober self-care. The importance of self-care in sobriety should not be understated. Self-care promotes not only long-term sobriety but also supports healthy living and the transition from addiction to rehab to living life without drugs or alcohol.
Self-care not only helps you establish a routine in sobriety – which is recommended to all those in recovery – but it also puts things that may have been neglected in active addiction back into focus. These things include personal hygiene, exercise, and healthy eating, among others.
Self-care also helps you work on yourself emotionally and mentally so you can foster healthier relationships with others, another crucial part of the recovery process. Our Palm Beach rehab emphasizes self-care for recovering addicts at our 12-step meetings to ensure that every patient understands how to best care for themselves as they adjust to sober living.
Self-Care for Addicts in Recovery
Treatment is just the beginning. Oftentimes, it’s what comes after rehab that can determine the rest of a person’s recovery. For this reason, we’re sharing some simple and realistic tips for self-care in addiction recovery that can help you stay on track.
Take Time to Relax
Addiction recovery is stressful, and stress can be a serious relapse trigger. Practicing some self-care can help reduce this stress. While you can do anything enjoyable, like going for a walk, taking a bath, or a fun hobby, you should also take the time to practice the relaxation techniques you learned during treatment, such as meditation and mindfulness.
Build a Good Support System
Especially if you’ve undergone professional drug or alcohol treatment, it’s important to continue applying the coping techniques you learned during treatment in your everyday life after rehab. One of the best ways to go about this is to find a good community of support. Having plenty of people that you trust to reach out to can help you through the tougher times in recovery and keep you from bottling your negative emotions inside. Our facility offers aftercare services, including an alumni program, to help clients who have completed their programs develop a solid routine outside of our facility.
Set Boundaries
Learning to set boundaries is a key part of staying sober. You’ll come across many unsupportive people throughout your recovery, some of whom may surprise you. Boundaries can come in many forms. Some are physical, such as physically leaving a situation where you may be tempted to use drugs or drink, and some are emotional, such as cutting off relationships with old drinking buddies or people who don’t respect your sobriety.
However, boundaries don’t always have to be as severe as cutting people off. Sometimes it’s just about kindly putting your foot down and standing up for your goals. Don’t be afraid to speak up when you’ve been put in a difficult position, and be mindful of the people in your life who want to see you fail. Surround yourself with those who love and support you most, and you’ll see how much more possible staying sober becomes.
Spend Time Outside
Being outside is free, so take advantage of the world around you and spend some time in nature. Whether you go to a park or you sit on your front porch, try spending time outside to help you relax. You can also unplug from any stressors by leaving your phone at home or on silent.
Create a Healthy Routine
Another important tip related to self-care for recovering addicts is to create a routine. Addiction can often lead to a poor diet, bad sleep habits, and little physical activity. It can be difficult to adjust to a life without these habits if you don’t create a new and healthier routine. Having a healthy routine in recovery can help you focus on eating a more nutritious diet, creating and adhering to better sleep habits, and getting regular exercise. All are important factors that influence your overall well-being.
Do Something Fun
Sobriety can and should be fun. If you initially believed that you have to do drugs or drink to have fun, then teaching yourself why this is not true further supports your decision to get sober. Instead of shutting yourself inside to try and avoid drug triggers, you need to make time regularly to do activities you enjoy.
Especially if you relied on drugs or alcohol to have fun when you were an addict, you might need to relearn how to enjoy yourself without these substances. With time, you will find that you do not miss drugs or alcohol at all. Some sober activities you can try on your own or with loved ones include going to the movies, visiting museums, being a tourist in your own city, and going to the beach.
Limit Screen Time
It’s easy to get sucked into the technology vortex of television, internet surfing, and cellphone use, especially if you’re new to sobriety and not sure what to do with your free time. With all of the applications and sources out there, it’s no wonder internet addiction has become a thing.
However, we encourage you to limit the time you spend on your phone and watching tv every day to ensure that you don’t become accustomed to staying home or isolating yourself from others. Instead, be sure to spend time outside, stay active, and spend time with loved ones.
Treatment Is the First Step
Self-care in addiction recovery, whether you are still in residential care or you’ve returned to your normal life, is vital to achieving lasting sobriety. Our luxury drug and alcohol rehab in Palm Beach offers high-end rehab amenities to ensure that clients enjoy the comforts they’re accustomed to as they undergo treatment. We also help patients prepare for life outside of our facility by teaching them various therapy techniques to practice self-care that they can carry over to their everyday lives.
Addiction recovery is a difficult journey and not one that anyone should have to go about alone. If you or someone you love is battling a substance abuse problem, the time is now to ask for help.
For more information about our addiction treatment in Palm Beach, call Seaside Palm Beach today at 561-677-9374 or send us your contact information, and one of our admission specialists will reach out to you right away.
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