The Ultimate Guide To Self-Care in Addiction Recovery

The Ultimate Guide To Self-Care in Addiction Recovery

Published October 2021

Everything else falls to the wayside when addiction takes over your life, including your relationships, career, school, and mental and physical health. That’s why regaining control of your own life is one of the most liberating elements of recovery. However, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life and forget to look for yourself. Mainly because we’ve had a history of putting our health last, self-care may be a fantastic way to prioritize yourself and your wellbeing during your addiction recovery.

Self-care is a trendy word these days, and it generally reminds people of relaxing in a bubble bath or visiting a spa. Of course, it can be any of these things, but it consists of so much more than that.

Self-care is any action we engage in on purpose to improve our mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Consider it like recharging your phone’s battery. Self-care may help us feel better by reducing anxiety and improving our mood. It’s also a fantastic way to reconnect with ourselves.

Above all, it’s about allowing yourself to prioritize yourself. Individuals addicted to drugs and alcohol find it difficult to prioritize their health and wellbeing since they have previously valued drugs and alcohol over everything else. However, recovery is about prioritizing yourself and your wellbeing, and self-care is a valuable tool in the recovery process.

Why is Self-Care Important in Addiction Recovery

Active addiction leads to self-harm because it is a type of self-abuse that produces poor coping strategies for the demands and obstacles of ordinary life. On the other hand, self-care is about retraining those coping systems in healthy, beneficial ways for our brains and bodies. So it’s the polar opposite of the previous statement.

Practicing self-love by prioritizing and caring for oneself increases self-worth, self-esteem, and mental wellbeing.

How to Incorporate Self-Care into Your Everyday Life

To begin with, taking a few minutes each day to check in with ourselves maybe a grounding exercise that can significantly assist our healing.

Consider the following question: “How am I feeling today?” Is there anything new I’ve discovered about myself today? What do I have to be thankful for today? What steps did I take today to boost my recovery? Have I experienced any new triggers today?

Taking the time to answer our questions honestly can help us stay present in our daily lives. This brings us to our top 7 ways to begin practicing better self-care today.

1. Set boundaries for friends, family members, and co-workers. Setting boundaries is a crucial element of maintaining your sobriety, making it one of the most significant acts of self-care you can do. They can take various forms: some are physical, such as leaving a situation that puts your sobriety in jeopardy, and others are mental or emotional, such as telling someone something doesn’t seem right.
2. Get outside and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine. Time spent outdoors keeps us active and is beneficial to our mental health. Nothing is preventing you from lacing up your shoes and heading for a run, even if you’re feeling down or restless.
3. Write down a list of everything you like about yourself to remind you of your unique qualities and self-worth.
4. Maintain a clean living workspace to eliminate clutter. Messiness can affect our mental health, which can lead to increased anxiety and depression.
5. Practice good daily hygiene. Brush your teeth 3x a day, take a shower daily, etc.
6. Block out time every day to sit down and listen to a guided meditation.
7. Read regularly, either novels or self-help books, to spark mental stimulation and boost your intellectual standing.