Recovery is a lifelong process. It’s normal to start with enthusiasm after completing outpatient drug rehab, but have it fade away over time.
If you feel that you’re not getting as much from your recovery as you used to, it’s possible that mindfulness training can be an incredible addition to your recovery journey.
Let’s explore what mindfulness is and three practices to boost your recovery.
What is Mindfulness?
Mindfulness may be receiving more attention now, but it’s nothing new. Buddha introduced it more than 2,500 years ago as a path to spiritual enlightenment. The goal of mindfulness is to be more present in our everyday lives. Instead of worrying about what happened yesterday, what’s going to happen tomorrow, etc., mindfulness forces you to be in the present moment.
Research shows that mindful activities positively reshape the brain. For example, it can reduce anxiety, provide greater self-awareness, and promote overall health and well-being. For these reasons, mindfulness is an effective addition to addiction recovery.
3 Mindfulness Practices to Add to Your Recovery
As you assimilate into your life following addiction treatment, here are three mindfulness practices to incorporate into your recovery.
1. Be Fully Present
How many times are you talking to your friends or watching TV, but your mind is somewhere else? When you’re in recovery, it’s more important than ever to be fully present. This allows you to increase self-awareness and be grateful for what you have at the moment.
2. Focus on Your Breathing
Life is full of stressors, so it’s important that you know how to deal with them. Rather than stress about the things you can’t control, focus on something you can control – your breathing. As you give your full attention to breathing, you avoid getting sucked into negative thoughts and behaviors.
3. Make Sense of Your Thoughts
Do you ever feel that you have a million thoughts floating around in your head? These thoughts might not seem like a big deal, but they actually influence how you live. It is these thoughts that cause people to have false assumptions about themselves and others. Rather than letting these thoughts consume you, mindfulness can teach you how to be aware of them.
You don’t need anything special to meditate, but a quiet place and willingness to learn. As you get more comfortable silencing the noise around you, practicing mindfulness will come naturally. To start your journey to sobriety and increase self-awareness, contact Awakenings Treatment Center.
