4 Positive Habits To Replace Addictive Habits
Drug addicts and alcoholics often have rituals that surround their drug use or drinking. Part of recovery is learning healthier skills and habits to replace these negative behaviors.
The recovery process requires giving up the familiar social situations, environments, friends, and activities that led to and supported the addiction. Getting rid of these is an important step in recovery. Yet, rather than simply stopping these behaviors, it’s vital to replace them with new healthy habits that fill the void that has been created.
4 Positive Habits To Support Your Recovery
While there are countless habits that can be incorporated into daily life to support your recovery, the following are a few of the most successful habits that are used by individuals in recovery to live healthier, more fulfilling lives.
1. Exercise
The benefits of regular exercise are multi-pronged. It is a proven reliever of anxiety and stress because it produces increased levels of dopamine and feel-good endorphins. It also creates more clarity, improves sleep, and obviously improves your overall physical well-being. The key is finding the exercise that is right for you, whether that’s running, yoga, swimming, or some other source of physical activity.
2. Journaling
Writing can be an extremely therapeutic activity for those in recovery. Regularly contributing to a daily journal helps to get out emotions and feelings of resentment. It’s also beneficial for chronicling what you’re grateful for on a daily basis.
3. Volunteering
Researchers have found that the act of helping others releases endorphins in much the same way exercise does. In other words, you get when you give!
4. Socializing
Being isolated is a set up for relapse. If you tend to retreat from others when you’re feeling stressed, down, or just blue, it’s an indicator that you need to change this habit by becoming more social in a healthy, substance-free environment. Join a group, a club or attend regular 12 step meetings and participate. Sharing with others and actively listening to them can go a long way toward supporting your recovery.
You CAN Change Your Habits
Both positive and negative habits create powerful neural pathways in your brain. Changing them doesn’t happen overnight, but it is very possible to replace negative habits with positive ones. Start small and build your confidence incrementally. You’ll soon find that you’ve replaced negative responses with healthy habits that you can embrace for a lifetime.
Want to learn more about changing negative habits and embracing recovery? Call Serenity to find out about our individualized holistic treatment programs.
You Too Can Embrace Healing And Recovery. Our Caring And Professional Staff Will Be With You Every Step Of The Way.
The Start To A New Beginning Is Just A Phone Call Away
