How Mindfulness Can Help in Addiction Recovery

What is mindfulness, anyway? Mindfulness refers to being present in the moment. It means being aware of yourself and your surroundings at any given time. Mindfulness may come easily sometimes, but other times it might be a little more difficult.

Mindfulness requires quieting the mind and forgetting about any stressors or worries in order to focus only on the present moment. Although, this can be easier said than done. Drowning out life’s everyday distractions can be challenging, but setting aside time each day to practice mindfulness can be very beneficial.

When it comes to treatment and recovery from addiction to drugs or alcohol, spending time meditating or practicing mindfulness each day can really enhance your quality of life and help you stay on track. While there are many benefits of mindfulness, a few advantages during treatment and recovery can include:

• Promotes balance
• Relieves stress
• Helps combat cravings

Promotes Balance

Finding balance during treatment and recovery can be difficult. Learning to prioritize your health and wellness while still fulfilling other obligations and responsibilities can be difficult. For so long, your only focus, thought, and priority was likely your addiction. You likely became so fixated on substance use that everything else seemed less important or secondary. As you enter treatment, you learn to reconnect with yourself and what is truly meaningful in your life.

As you regain your awareness of who you are and what really matters, practicing mindfulness can help you balance your thoughts, feelings, and goals.

Relieves Stress

Mindfulness can be very beneficial when it comes to managing stress. It goes without saying that addiction recovery comes with a fair share of stress. It is normal to experience stress in your life at some point. When you are working hard each day to stay on track and make the right decisions to avoid relapse, there can be some added pressure.

Mindfulness can often afford you a temporary escape from the stressors of daily life. It encourages you to focus only on what you are feeling and experiencing in that moment. Your mind might tend to run a little wild sometimes, especially when there is something stressing you out. Spending some time reconnecting with your inner self and checking in about how you are feeling in the moment can be very calming and reassuring.

Combats Cravings

Cravings are something that you will experience when recovering from addiction. It is best to try to avoid any known triggers, but despite these efforts, cravings may still occur. Just as practicing mindfulness and meditating can help ease stress by temporarily taking your focus away from those worries, it can do the same thing for cravings. By re-centering yourself and focusing on your surroundings in the present moment, you can stop those thought patterns that can often lead to relapse.

Sometimes, one of the best ways to combat cravings is by distracting yourself. What could be a better distraction than taking some time to re-center, regroup, and connect with yourself?

How to Practice Mindfulness

How do you practice mindfulness? Mindfulness can look different for everyone. Many activities such as meditation and yoga can incorporate mindfulness into your life. However, mindfulness can even be practiced in your kitchen or while you are on a walk.

Practicing mindfulness can be done on a whim, or it could be planned as part of a structured activity. Usually, mindfulness is most beneficial in environments where there are fewer distractions. Finding a quiet place that does not offer too much sensory stimulation is usually best. This is because the focus is to connect with your inner thoughts and feelings and only focus on what you are feeling and experiencing in that present moment. Too many external stimuli can disrupt the process.

Enlightened Solutions offers a variety of yoga classes and programs to promote mindfulness. Yoga creates a mind and body connection that promotes healing during the treatment and recovery process. Our instructors will teach you how to create a yoga practice that works for you and encourages mindfulness on a regular basis.

Many other forms of therapy can also encourage mindfulness. Enlightened Solutions often incorporates things such as horticulture therapy or music therapy, both of which involve using the senses and focus on what you are experiencing, seeing, hearing, or smelling in that very moment.

Mindfulness has many benefits and can promote healing when it comes to treatment and addiction. As mentioned, practicing mindfulness can be done in many different ways and in many different settings. What is important, though, is to incorporate mindfulness into your daily and weekly routines.

Mindfulness can have many benefits for the average individual. These benefits can include everything from reduced blood pressure to improved sleep quality and focus. For those in the treatment process or in recovery, it can be exceptionally helpful. Practicing mindfulness regularly can help with things like finding balance in your life, managing and reducing stress, and combating cravings you may experience. Enlightened Solutions offers a variety of activities that are focused on mindfulness and encourage connecting the mind and body while being present in the moment. Our holistic approach to treatment encourages healing in every aspect of life to promote better health and long-term recovery. If you or someone you love is struggling with drug or alcohol addiction, we would love to help. To learn more about the ways in which mindfulness can benefit you in treatment and recovery, call Enlightened Solutions today at (833) 801-LIVE.