Self-care in addiction recovery is crucial to long-term sobriety. In addition to sobriety, self-care helps individuals experience joy, connection, and peace of mind. The practice of self-care means taking the time to take care of your overall well-being.
As you move along the recovery process, it’s essential to be aware of your mental, emotional, and physical means. Our goal is to help you overcome addiction and build self-care habits that last long after treatment ends.
What is Self-Care?
Self-care includes anything we do to refuel and recharge our mind, body, and spirit. It can involve anything from taking care of our hygiene and physical health, to activities that promote our mental and spiritual well-being.
Some individuals may be under the impression that it’s selfish to take part in self-care. We’re here to debunk this misconception!
When we practice self-care and love ourselves, we start to become a better version of ourselves. This then positions us to be fully present in our lives and for the people who love and need us.
Why is Self-Care Important to the Addiction Recovery Process?
Addiction recovery is about far more than just sobriety. It’s about stepping into a new, healthier way of living.
Changes in your lifestyle are directly tied to changes in your mental and physical well-being. Practicing self-care during addiction recovery allows you to form a plan that ensures you’re at your best.
Self-care in addiction recovery is an action, not merely a concept. Our treatment plan will help you incorporate self-care habits that will become a part of your daily routine.
Substance misuse is toxic to the mind, body, and spirit. Restoring and maintaining health in all areas of our lives is a focal point of addiction recovery.
At Granite Mountain Behavioral Health, we believe in maximizing the addiction recovery experience is to practice self-care.
What are the Different Types of Self-Care in Addiction Recovery?
There are many different types of self-care when it comes to your overall well-being. These types of self-care can range from habits tied to physical health, to actions we take to promote our emotional being.
It’s important to form habits ranging in different types of self-care during the addiction recovery process. When you take the time to improve yourself, you’ll notice the world around you start to adjust too.
Emotional Self-Care
Emotional self-care can be defined as the actions we take to connect with our emotions and healthily process them. Our ability to regulate our emotions and form healthy coping mechanisms is vital to our happiness.
A few examples of emotional self-care activities for addiction recovery include:
- Journaling
- Therapy
- Using affirmations or mantras
- Meditation
- Practicing gratitude
Another critical component of emotional self-care is paying attention to your self-talk. Negative self-talk can lead to destructive behavior. Replacing negative self-talk with words that are loving and kind can make a massive difference in the quality of your life.
Physical Self-Care
Physical self-care is all about taking care of your body. Body and mind are connected, so when you take the time to nourish one, the other will benefit as well. Exercise especially has enormous benefits to the way that you feel.
Activities that promote physical self-care during addiction recovery include:
- Being active (going for a walk, a bike ride, going to the gym, etc.)
- Taking a relaxing bath
- Dancing to music you enjoy
- Getting a massage
- Napping (never gets old!)
Mental Self-Care
Mental self-care works on stimulating your mind and cultivating a healthy psyche. It’s crucial to make sure you’re growing and learning as the days go by. If you’re not taking the time to expand your mind, you’re doing yourself a great disservice.
Activities that fall into mental self-care include:
Listening to a podcast
- Trying a new hobby
- Visiting the museum
- Reading a book
- Learning something new
Social Self-Care
Connecting with others is a natural part of being a human being. We all crave connection. Satisfying this need ensures your social well-being is also taken care of.
Self-care in the addiction recovery process means considering all parts of self-care, even when it involves other people.
Social self-care activities include:
- Scheduling regular calls with your family members
- Taking the time to hang out with friends
- Going on a date with your significant other
- Cuddling with a pet
- Writing a card and mailing it to someone you love and appreciate
Another crucial part of self-care is taking into consideration what relationships serve you and which do not. If there’s anyone you find draining to be around, it may be time to part ways. Your relationships should uplift and fulfill you, not the other way around.
Spiritual Self-Care
A spiritual self-care practice is any ritual that helps to connect you with your true self. The real you is the raw expression of who you are, before any conditioning or limiting beliefs took place.
It’s energizing, inspiring, and, most importantly, it feels right. Spirituality means something different to everyone.
For one, it may be the practice of Buddhism. For others, it means taking the time to be your own and check-in with how you genuinely feel. In any case, make sure to do what feels right to you.
Spiritual self-care activities can come in the form of:
- Spending time in nature
- Religious/Spiritual practice
- Doing yoga
- Volunteering
- Mindfulness/Meditation
Practical Tips for Self-Care During Addiction Recovery
An acronym that’s commonly used during addiction treatment is H.A.L.T. This stands for hungry, angry, lonely, and tired.
Feeling these negative states can trigger substance use in specific individuals. Self-care during the addiction recovery process helps to satisfy H.A.L.T states to ensure you’re feeling your best.
Some practical tips for self-care include:
Fuel your brain and body with healthy food
A nutritious diet benefits your concentration and energy levels. This also leads to a more stable mood! Eating healthy food makes you feel good, and when you feel good, you’re less likely to be tempted by drugs or alcohol.
Take the time to enjoy yourself
Determining what activities help you relax is essential to addiction recovery. Finding ways to have fun helps show you that you don’t need drugs or alcohol to feel good. We encourage you to look into different types of hobbies, such as learning about new subjects and exercise.
Have a reliable sleep schedule
A lack of sleep negatively impacts every aspect of your health. Negative moods and emotions lead to a lack of energy and motivation. The better your body and mind feel, the better you will feel.
Exercise
Exercise has an enormous amount of benefits regarding addiction recovery. Consistently exercising helps to regulate stress levels. It also works as a mood booster due to the dopamine release that occurs when you’re exercising.
Reducing stress
Stress can trigger relapse in many individuals. Practicing self-care during addiction recovery helps keep stress levels down. Adequate sleep, exercise, and mindfulness practice are all great techniques in reducing stress.
Gratitude practice
Noticing the small joys can benefit your self-care routine in surprising ways. With a perspective of gratitude, life becomes more beautiful. Even on our difficult days, we have the gift of recovery and all the blessings that it brings.
We encourage you to maintain a daily gratitude journal. Just listing five things that you’re grateful for daily can make a significant impact on how you feel.
Why Should I Enroll in a Treatment Program at Granite Behavioral Health?
Our philosophy is what drives our members and us forward. We have determined that addiction recovery is achieved through an intentional combination of vital support and neuro-regeneration.
We combine these evidence-based treatment methods with clinical care provided by genuinely caring, trained & certified professionals. With the help of a structured program, we’ll cover all the essential areas of self-care.
Our goal is to target all parts of the addiction. Here at Granite Mountain Health, we want to help you become the best version of yourself that you can be.
Another great advantage of a treatment center such as ours is the full range of amenities and services. A handful of what we provide includes:
- All transportation to & from the clinical addiction treatment center, doctors’ appointments, 12 step meetings, house activities, the grocery store, and any other housing-sanctioned outings or activities
- 24/7 clinical assistance
- Accountability circles and house meetings
- Weekend activities, including trips to Sedona, the Grand Canyon, bowling, movies, hiking, and swimming
- Exercise and health: Yoga, cross-fit, and other sporting activities are available to members
- Communication: Each member will have the opportunity to get a job and learn to communicate with an onsite house manager. The onsite house manager will help the individual organize and structure their day.
Jumpstart your Addiction Recovery Journey with Granite Behavioral Health Today!
Self-care is a crucial part of the addiction recovery process. No matter where you’re at, forming healthy habits and rituals is vital.
Our overall well being must be maintained and paid attention to. It’s easy to neglect areas of your life that you know need attention.
Addiction recovery can help shed light on all the areas of your life that could use some self-care.
You can kindly contact us here for more information about our addiction treatment programs. We’re here to answer all of your questions, comments, and concerns!
