Looking back at your life before recovery is rough. You can probably scarcely remember being able to relax fully without sipping on your favorite cocktail. As you try to relax and enjoy free time in recovery you may discover you have lost the ability to enjoy leisure activities sober. In recovery you will learn that addiction has changed the structure of your brain, and you will now have to retrain your brain to understand how to have fun and enjoy recreation without drugs or alcohol.
Having fun in recovery
Those in recovery are often encouraged to start a hobby, join an interest group, or find some alternative activities that bring joy and fun. Some treatment centers even encourage people to become adrenaline junkies for a legal way to get high. Maybe your hobby will be jumping out of airplanes or rock climbing without a harness. The point here is to learn that life is not boring in sobriety. Having fun teaches you that there is much more to life you would have missed if you never sought treatment for addiction.
Relaxing in recovery
It is difficult to sit still for many people. Sitting still is even harder for someone in recovery, especially if you are new to the recovery journey. Scarcely a moment goes by when you are not thinking about your addiction. You will need to discover what can help you relax the obsession and enjoy peaceful moments. What helps a person relax can vary widely. Some feel relaxed after intense workouts. Others need to curl up near a fire with a good book. Meditation can also help a person learn how to relax even in extremely stressful situations.
Practice
Anything learned is not mastered in a day. Anticipate and give yourself time to learn how to enjoy leisure again. The journey can be frustrating. Eventually you will master leisure again and find it was not really a skill you were looking for. Instead of building a skill you will find that enjoying leisure is simply part of living a normal and joyful life.
Most treatment programs have an intense focus on helping recovering addicts find alternative ways to enjoy life apart from their hangup. Treatment centers realize it can be difficult for newly recovered people to find enjoyment in life. By utilizing their tips and strategies those in recovery soon discover that they are enjoying life at an even greater capacity than before they ever touched drugs or alcohol.
The Springboard Center wants to change the way the Permian Basin and beyond approaches substance abuse. Our residential treatment programs offer an opportunity to restore the health and dignity of clients and their families. Call us today for information on our programs for addiction and alcoholism: (432) 620-0255
