Mindfulness is a practice that has its roots in Hinduism and Buddhism but has become a largely non-religious activity that many people engage in for a variety of reasons. The practice can be useful for those in recovery from a substance use disorder in a number of different ways.
In this blog post, we will look at three ways mindfulness might be a useful tool in your recovery. But first, let’s look at what mindfulness practice is.
Mindfulness is Easy to Understand
At the heart of mindfulness practice is the idea that we are all well served by having our awareness and attention centered in the present moment. Many, many people—perhaps including you—find themselves often ruminating about the past or worrying about the future.
When we look back on the past with regret or forward to the future with apprehension, we miss the current moment and all that it might have to offer. Spending more time in the present can support your mental health and your recovery.
At its most basic, mindfulness involves sitting comfortably, closing your eyes, and bringing your attention to your breath while you let thoughts and feelings come and go. While that is easy enough to explain, it can be challenging—especially when you first give mindfulness a try. Steady practice—as in so many things—is a great way to get more comfortable with mindfulness and experience its benefits.
Staying Present in Recovery
Working toward less rumination and less worry can be a powerful practice in recovery. As we have noted, keeping your mind more often in the present has mental health benefits. And those benefits support your ongoing recovery because good mental health is foundational to consistently choosing against returning to drugs or alcohol.
This benefit of mindfulness is powerful all by itself. But mindfulness offers more than that to everyone who practices it—including those in recovery from a substance use disorder.
Reducing Stress in Recovery
All of us are subject to plenty of stress in our daily lives. Not all of it is avoidable, but letting stress pile up and overwhelm you puts your recovery at risk. So it is important to develop strategies that provide a relief valve when stress is at its peak.
There are a lot of ways to address stress. Having an engaging hobby, for example, can help you relax and recharge. Spending time with supportive friends and family can also lower your stress levels. Exercise can also be a great way to deal with stress.
Mindfulness practice can also be an effective part of your stress relief program. Sitting quietly and resting your attention on your breathing can lead to increased feelings of calmness and relaxation. Getting into a regular habit of mindfulness practice allows you to get regular stress relief—which gives ongoing support to your recovery.
Urge Surfing in Recovery
A better ability to stay in the present moment and powerful stress relief are benefits of mindfulness that are available to everyone. Urge surfing, on the other hand, is a mindfulness practice that has specific benefits for those in recovery who are experiencing a craving.
The urge surfing practice looks very similar to all mindfulness exercises, but instead of focusing on your breathing, you bring your attention to the physical manifestations of the craving in your body. That might be a headache or tension in your shoulders or an upset stomach—or some combination of these and other physical symptoms. As you observe those symptoms and the emotions attached to them, you can visualize riding a wave in the ocean, allowing the feelings you are having to peak and subside without acting on them.
Learning to urge surf gives you a useful strategy to employ anytime a craving pops up and tempts you to use drugs or drink alcohol.
You can learn more about urge surfing in this previous blog entry.
Helping You is Always on Our Mind
At French Creek Recovery Center—located in Henryville, Indiana—we are committed to helping individuals leave drugs and alcohol behind so that they can build a better life for themselves.
We provide medically supervised detoxification services that allow you to weather withdrawal in a safe and temptation-free environment. This is the most effective way to get drugs and alcohol out of your system without turning back to the substances when the cravings and other symptoms associated with withdrawal strike.
Detoxification is followed by a rehabilitation program that prepares you to meet the challenges of recovery while also addressing any co-occurring mental health disorders. Depression, anxiety, trauma-based disorders, and more can be entangled with a substance use disorder, so addressing both is essential.
When your time in residential treatment comes to an end, we provide ongoing support and aftercare so that you can begin your recovery journey with confidence. We work to build connections among the alumni of our programs and also provide the CaredFor app, which provides resources and encouragement as you return to your daily life.
When you are ready to make a change for the better, we are ready to help.