Substance abuse is a common problem in the United States. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 48.7 million people struggled with a substance use disorder in 2022.[1]

While attending an addiction treatment program is vital for your recovery journey, the work does not end there. After you complete rehab, you’ll have to continue participating in self-care routines to ensure you stay healthy physically, mentally, and emotionally. But how do you practice self-care in sobriety?

Some of the easiest ways to ensure you care for yourself include maintaining a regular sleep routine, eating healthy, and exercising. When you take care of your body, you also have positive effects on your brain and emotions. You can also practice self-care by using mindfulness techniques, journaling, attending therapy, engaging in fun activities, and more.

In this article, you will learn:

How to Practice Self-Care in Recovery: 7 Tips

Practicing self-care is an important aspect of recovery. When you are engaging in healthy habits that support your physical and mental health, you are less likely to experience intense emotions that could lead to a relapse. In other words, taking the time to engage in self-care makes it possible to maintain long-term sobriety.

If you are wondering how to engage in self-care, use the following 7 tips:

1. Prioritize Sleep, Healthy Eating, and Exercise

Physical self-care is just as important as emotional techniques. First, you should maintain a regular sleep schedule that helps you feel refreshed when you wake up each morning.  If your circadian rhythm is disrupted, you could experience depression, anxiety, and even seasonal affective disorder.[2]

You should also stick to a healthy diet and exercise. Eating right gives you the energy you need to take on the day. Without the proper fuel, you could be left feeling fatigued and irritable.

According to a study, “Exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function.”[3] In other words, engaging in physical activity for 30 minutes every day can lessen severe emotional symptoms and improve self-confidence.

2. Start Journaling

Every day you will experience new things. Some of your experiences will be positive, while others will be negative. When you write down the important interactions you had during the day, it makes it easier to process your emotions and identify positive or negative behaviors you participated in.

Journaling can provide you with a safe space to process your emotions, identify patterns of behavior, and manage stress or anxiety. It allows you to reflect on your experiences thoughtfully, improving self-awareness and lessening the severity of negative emotions.

3. Try Mindfulness Techniques

Mindfulness is both a type of emotional and spiritual self-care. To explain, mindfulness is the act of being present in the moment instead of focusing on the past or future. You can practice mindfulness by engaging in unguided meditation, deep breathing exercises, or guided meditations.

This self-care technique is beneficial for people recovering from addiction in two ways. First, it helps you accept your emotions in the present, which prevents you from trying to numb them with drugs or alcohol. Mindfulness can also be used to disrupt negative behaviors before you engage in them.[4]

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4. Attend Regular Therapy

One of the best forms of self-care for people in recovery from addiction is therapy. Even if you’ve already unpacked the root causes of your addiction and recovered from past traumas in rehab, continuing to attend therapy can help you succeed in your daily life.

You do not have to be experiencing a crisis to benefit from therapy. For example, you could seek help from a therapist to recognize underlying patterns of behavior that could be causing stress or other psychological symptoms. You can also use therapy as a way to unpack your emotions about the week you’ve experienced.

5. Set Boundaries

Another important self-care technique is setting boundaries with people in your life. You need to learn that sometimes it is okay to say no to the people you love.

For example, let’s say your best friend drinks alcohol occasionally. Maybe they like to have a couple of drinks when you go out to the bar, but it triggers you to see someone consuming alcohol. Instead of white-knuckling the trigger, you should set a boundary with your friends and ask them not to drink in front of you.

6. Maintain Healthy Relationships

Having close and healthy relationships with others is a form of self-care. When you are in healthy friendships, you will have a type of support that you cannot receive anywhere else. The same goes for family members, as they can provide a level of connection that you need to feel fulfilled and happy.

By having close relationships with friends and family members, you have people that you can go to for advice or support in times of need. You also have people who can engage in fun activities with you, helping you reduce stress and increase positive emotions.

7. Engage in Sober-Friendly Hobbies

Lastly, having fun is also a type of self-care. You need to learn how to have fun as a sober person, especially because many people struggle with thinking sobriety will be boring. Instead of using drugs and alcohol to experience excitement and fun, you should look for other types of activities to engage in.

For example, you could play team sports, go on hikes to pretty locations, visit art museums, or start a new hobby like skateboarding or crocheting. Whatever type of hobby or activity you enjoy, you should allow yourself time to engage in it a few times per week.

Get Connected to a Top-Rated Drug and Alcohol Rehab Center

If you or a loved one suffers from addiction, it’s time to seek professional help. Living in active addiction can be difficult, causing physical, social, emotional, and even financial issues. Thankfully, addiction treatment programs like Alamo Behavioral Health can help you recover.

Contact us today for more information on our drug and alcohol addiction treatment center.

References:

1. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): HHS, SAMHSA Release 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Data
2. Harvard Health Publishing: Why your sleep and wake cycles affect your mood
3. The Primary Care Companion: Exercise for Mental Health
4. Sage Journals: Mindfulness-Based Therapies for Substance Use Disorders