Mindfulness is a fairly straightforward word meaning that the mind is fully attending to what is happening and what you are doing. To be mindful is to be fully present, but not overly reactive or overwhelmed by everything going on.
Mindfulness has numerous benefits during every step of the addiction recovery process. Luckily, it’s not too difficult to put into practice because:
- It’s familiar to us and we don’t have to change who we are
- We already have the capacity to be present
- It cultivates the best of who we already are
Ways to be Mindful
If you aren’t sure where to start on your journey to mindfulness during addiction recovery, here are four ways to be mindful:
- Traditional meditation
- Yoga
- Changing eating habits
- Being in nature
- Power of Meditation
Mindful meditation is a very common way to stay present and is popular during addiction treatment. It encourages someone who suffers from addiction to sit quietly with him or herself and pay close attention to any thoughts and feelings without taking action to fix them.
Mindful meditation offers the following health benefits, which can be helpful during recovery:
- Better stress management
- Better self-awareness
- Improved immune system functioning
- Better understanding of thoughts and feelings
Benefits at Every Stage of Treatment
– In the early months of recovery, there is a mental fuzziness while the mind adjusts to life without substance abuse. Mindful meditation is a great tool to help control emotions and provide mental clarity.
– Mindfulness can be used to improve mental health conditions that often accompany addiction.
– Mindful meditation can help patients recognize the negative thoughts and feelings that can lead to relapse.
– Mindfulness helps those recovering realize if they are losing their hold on recovery, which can help them avoid a relapse.
– After treatment, mindfulness practices can be used to improve the overall quality of life.
Help Getting Started on Your Mindfulness Journey
While books and internet searches can help you learn to live with more mindfulness, apps can be the easiest way to get started. Just a few of the top free mindfulness apps include:
- Insight Timer – features guided meditation
- Aura – a daily, three-minute, personalized meditation
- Omvana – features a library with thousands of meditations
- MyLife – helps you get acquainted with mindfulness
- Calm – offers relaxing sounds and meditations
Part of Your Treatment
If you are ready to start your journey to sobriety, find a treatment center that integrates mindfulness into the overall treatment program. At Footprints, our clients enjoy alternative treatments such as yoga, outdoor therapy with guided meditation, nutrition and more. Contact us today to begin a personalized and holistic treatment program created just for you that includes mindfulness during addiction recovery.
