15 Tips on Staying Emotionally Balanced in Addiction Recovery

15 Tips on Staying Emotionally Balanced in Addiction Recovery

Published January 2018

Keeping your emotions in check can be difficult for those who have a mental illness, but it is generally something we should all learn how to manage. Balancing emotions is the key to keeping yourself in check when dealing with other people and the highs and lows we experience in life. When you’re at work, you are to be level-headed to remain professional and not let the actions of co-workers rattle your feathers which could lead to making irrational decisions that could be detrimental to your career.

In a relationship, you are to be understanding within reason in the midst of an argument so you don’t lash out and say something you could really regret. When you’re with family, you are open to criticism around the table and keep calm rather than getting upset and storming out the house. You see, our emotions play a big role in how we manage our lives. If you let your emotions get the best of you, your life could end up feeling like an absolute rollercoaster. Wouldn’t you rather live in a more zen state of mind where you are balanced in your emotional wellbeing? At Passages, we want to offer you these 15 helpful tips to become more emotionally balanced so you can keep your cool, no matter what you’re experiencing at that moment.

“The best way for you to get that new experience is to change your response to what happens.”
― Chris Prentiss, Zen and the Art of Happiness

1. Practice mindful meditation and use visualization to help channel your alpha state.
2. Use deep breathing exercises that release stress, tension, and bring you back to the stillness of the present moment.
3. Stick to a daily 1-hour workout regiment where you can enjoy yourself without feeling like a chore.
4. Channel your awareness and be real with how you feel.
5. Avoid using and abusing drugs and alcohol for your own physical, mental, and emotional health.
6. Surrender your own expectations or outcome and be humble in every experience.
7. Reflect on your blessings and all that you are grateful for.
8. Drink chamomile tea before bed.
9. Create art as self-expression (poetry, music, painting, blogging, photography, etc.)
10. Maintain a healthy diet and stay hydrated, so your body stays full of healthy nutrients.
11. Get the right amount of sleep, so you wake up each morning feeling refreshed and ready to conquer the day.
12. Embrace other people, even those who don’t act by how you think or feel. Hear them out so you can be open to new perspectives rather than being trapped in your own bubble. You don’t have to agree with them, but you should listen. There might be an opportunity for you both to learn something from one another.
13. Look inward when an emotion arises and breathe in through your nose while staying calm as you feel your body’s reaction to the experience you just had. Before responding, think of the consequences and choose wisely.
14. Use music as a healing therapy.
15. Practice letting go of the past and forgive yourself for choices you made that you’ve come to regret. Realize that every experience is an opportunity to learn something new and no matter the outcome of any situation is exactly what was meant to be and how it was meant to happen.

“If you are surrounded by people who not only don’t believe in your goals and your positive outlook on life but who also continually try to tear you down, it will be extremely challenging for you to hold firmly in mind that you will succeed and that you can be happy.”
― Chris Prentiss, Zen and the Art of Happiness