Frequently, we think of things in groups of three here in this blog. We offered “Three Recovery Tips: Make a Budget, Tidy a Mess, Start a Journal.” We highlighted “Three Groups that Can Be Great Supporters of Your Sobriety.” We have provided “Three Hobby Suggestions to Support Recovery.” And we have considered “Three Roadblocks to Recovery: Stubbornness, Fear, and Shame.”
We offer another group of three in this entry. This time out, we want to recommend three states of being that can support your sobriety. We want to encourage you to be mindful, be active, and be rested in recovery.
Mindfulness Helps You Stay in the Current Moment
Many of us—even people who are not in recovery from a substance use disorder—spend a lot of time in the past or the future rather than the present.
For example, the odds are pretty good that you often find yourself ruminating about the past. You might re-live mistakes you have made or times when you were embarrassed. If you are in recovery, you might find yourself dwelling on things you regret from the time you were using drugs or alcohol. This tendency to get lost in the problems of the past can put your sobriety at risk.
On the flip side of the coin, worrying about the future is also a common activity. Our minds have a tendency to imagine the worst-case scenarios that might befall us. If you are in recovery, you might find yourself constantly worried that you will not be able to maintain your sobriety. Ironically, the tendency to worry about a relapse can contribute to a relapse.
Mindfulness practice offers an alternative. At its heart, mindfulness is about keeping your attention in the present so that you more fully experience what is happening now rather than what happened in the past or might happen in the future. Getting started involves simple breathing exercises, and regular practice can provide real benefits that support your sobriety.
Exercise Supports Your Physical Health, Mental Health, and Sobriety
We probably don’t have to convince you that regular exercise has benefits for your physical health. But that is just part of the story. Your physical and mental health are intertwined, so that means working to improve your physical well-being also supports your mental well-being. Your mental health and sobriety are also intertwined, so improved mental health supports ongoing sobriety.
You have probably noticed that this is yet another set of three: physical health, mental health, and sobriety. And when you think of them as three interconnected things, it is perhaps easier to stay motivated when it comes to consistent exercise. Being active is a great way to ensure you are well-equipped to keep being sober.
Getting Quality Sleep is a Quality Sobriety Strategy
Another thing exercise can help with is sleep—and sleep is another key activity when it comes to protecting your hard-won sobriety. When you are well rested, you are (and this will sound familiar) supporting your physical health, your mental well-being, and your ongoing sobriety.
Many of us are pretty undisciplined when it comes to sleep. We stay up too late—often doomscrolling through our social media, which has a negative impact on our ability to sleep. Our sleep spaces are overly cluttered, overly warm, overly noisy, and overly bright. We toss and turn (and rehash the past or worry about the future), and we get to the morning feeling a lot of things, but not rested.
Everyone—and especially those in recovery from a substance use disorder—can benefit from a more intentional approach to sleep. Setting a bedtime might sound like a childish approach, but a regular bedtime (and awakening time) can be a powerful way to ensure you get the sleep you need. A good wind-down routine, attention to the environment in which you sleep (dark, cool, quiet), and finding effective techniques to keep your mind from running off to the past or the future (remember our mindfulness suggestion?) can provide significant benefits to your overall well-being—including improving the likelihood that you can maintain your sobriety.
When It Comes to Recovery Centers, You Only Need to Count to One
At Bel Aire Recovery Center—located near Wichita, Kansas—we are committed to helping each person we serve reclaim and maintain their sobriety. We offer personalized treatment for substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders. We will see you through medically supervised detox, a robust approach to rehab, and our post-treatment continuum of care (look at that, yet another set of three!). Our approach to treatment is grounded in evidence-based practices, extensive training, years of experience, and a commitment to empathy. When you are looking for an effective approach to substance use disorder treatment, we are confident you will find that we are the one.
