At the FHE recovery houses in Florida, addiction treatment centers around your dedication and hard work. It can be grueling and unforgiving at times to work so focused in on yourself–your physical recovery from chemical dependency and your mental health rehabilitation. However, though it is depleting, it is work you are dedicated to nonetheless. You are pushing against the lingering psychological effects of chemical dependencies, breaking old habits, and reinventing yourself basically from the ground up. It’s imperative that among all of that deep and wearying work that you find the time to let yourself relax.
Relaxation is Not Laziness
Relaxation is a vital necessity when you are in the thick of substance abuse recovery. In the same way that your body needs to sleep at night, your brain needs to relax and spend some time “off the clock”. If you have a relaxing activity that is insulated from your addictions – great! Then you just need to give yourself the permission to clear space in your life to indulge in that relaxation on some kind of regular basis.
How Do I Relax Without Using Again?
If your primary form of relaxation in the past, was tied up with people, places, or activities that you associate with your past drug abuse, or that reinforce the self loathing and shame that often become catalyst for chemical dependency it is the perfect time to find new ways to let yourself unwind. Are there any activities or hobbies that you’ve always been curious about but never had the time or energy to pursue? Now is the perfect opportunity to do so. Paint a picture, take up racquetball, buy a drone, read a book of poetry – write a book of poetry!
We don’t give ourselves permission to relax nearly enough in our culture. Seize this chance to carve a little haven for yourself, and immerse yourself in a passion that you’ve never been able to explore. The work of recovery takes so very much of energy. If you don’t spend some time relaxing, not only will you not be able to enjoy the benefits of your sobriety, but you may not have what it takes to keep working. No one is indefatigable. When you get tired or feel expended, let yourself take some time to loosen up and relax.
