In addiction recovery, you must put your needs first. Ensuring self-care is part of your everyday life is essential because it provides you with a healthy outlet for minimizing stress and anxiety – two things that could put you at risk of relapsing. If you’re new to the idea of self-care, it can be any healthy activity that helps you relax or reward yourself. Self-care doesn’t mean splurging on expensive items you can’t afford – indeed, you’ll find many of the most helpful self-care ideas are inexpensive or even free. It’s also essential to make a clear-cut distinction between self-care and selfishness. Setting aside “me time” every day will give you more energy and a renewed sense of purpose, which you can use to be a better friend, relative, co-worker or partner. If you’re ready to get started, here are some tips!
1. Make the First Hour of Your Day Tech-Free
If your MO is to reach for your phone as soon as you wake up to check the news, respond to emails or refresh your social media feed, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Instead, start every day off on a positive note by spending your first waking hour in “digital detox.” You can use this time for anything you like – exercising, meditating, journaling or enjoying simple pleasures like a cup of hot tea and a good book. The key is that whatever you choose should not rely on stress-inducing electronic devices. One of the easiest ways to get (and stay) in the habit of setting a more upbeat mode for your day is to not keep your phone, tablet or other tech by your bedside. If you use your phone as your alarm clock, replace it with something else – perhaps one of these options that double as a light therapy device.
2. Take Breaks Throughout the Day
Breaks can be an incredibly beneficial component of self-care. Too often, we challenge ourselves to keep pushing until we complete tasks, and before we know it, it’s 2 p.m. and our stomach is complaining loudly about missing lunch. Taking a break in the middle of a project is healthy because it enables you to return to whatever you were doing with fresh eyes. To add breaks to your work routine, try the Pomodoro Technique, which consists of 25-minute, focused bursts of work, interspersed with breaks. All you need to get started is a timer. What you do on your breaks is up to you, but one thing you can try is a brisk walk around the block to get your blood flowing.
3. Don’t Be Afraid to Turn People Down
If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the double whammy of work and family obligations, accepting an invitation to an after-hours networking event can put even more tension on your already fraying nerves. So why would you agree to go? Many of us feel pressured to take on more, more, more, when every sign is telling us to go down the path of less stress. Next time someone asks you to do something you feel you can’t take on, see how liberating it can feel to say “no.” You don’t have to be rude about turning them down. Try saying something like, “Thanks for thinking of me, but I already have a lot on my plate, and I need to spend some quiet time at home.”
How to Maximize Your Self-Care
Now that you’ve decided to prioritize your self-care as part of your ongoing addiction recovery, how can you get the most out of it? Start by assessing, on a 1-to-10 scale, how you are doing on your mental, emotional and physical health. Then, choose an activity that will get you closer to the top of that scale. Again, any healthy habit that pushes you in a positive direction could be a form of self-care. Do you need additional care in your recovery? Segue Recovery Support provides the environment that can help make a difference for you. Our high-accountability sober living provides a “buffer zone” between addiction treatment and the real world by removing the distractions that can lead to relapse. Contact us to learn about our continuing services for people healing their bodies, minds and spirits from substance misuse.