Recovery

Empathy is a vital human ability that lets us connect with others and feel less alone. Here’s how to practice it daily. We hear a lot about “empathy” these days. It seems to be having a trending moment, and for good reason. Quite simply, empathy is the ability to understand and feel the emotions and experiences of someone else. Why is empathy so important? It helps us to think outside of our own perspective, feel less alone, and understand other people in deeper and more meaningful ways. When we live our lives with empathy, we are less inclined to write people off, express rage or hold grudges, and isolate. We begin to understand that everyone is coming from his or her own life experience. Whether we agree with someone or not, the ability to empathize it deeply important in our collective human evolution. In recovery, empathy can help us forgive, release anger and fear, and experience deeper love and understanding for ourselves and others. While the idea of empathy is quite compelling, it’s sometimes difficult to know how to employ it in everyday life. One of the simplest ways to develop empathy is to truly listen to other people. Oftentimes, we are so wrapped up in our own opinion or drama that we aren’t taking the time to turn off our judgments and listen with compassion and openness to the feelings of others. Additionally, it’s important to remain openminded and try to suspend some of your own judgments or preconceived notions. The key to empathy is to examine some of our own longstanding beliefs and release them so that we can see others more clearly, unclouded by our own judgment. Lastly, practice treating everyone you come in contact with as important, worthy, and deserving of your attention. We can learn a lot from other people and other people often need a helping hand or a listening ear. When we start to move through the world with an open mind, eager to listen to other people and their experiences, our worlds and hearts begin to open up.

Reading can boost mental health and help us destress. Here are some ways to incorporate reading into your daily life. Whether you love novels, newspaper articles, magazines, or blogs, reading is always a good idea. There are innumerable benefits to reading that go way beyond increasing intelligence. Believe it or not, reading can actually boost mental health and decrease stress. Here, we’ll look at some of the benefits of reading, as well as some ways to incorporate it into your daily routine for improved mental and emotional health and a more expansive recovery journey.

This is a look into the importance of defining yourself, owning your narrative, and getting empowered. Humans are meaning-makers. We find meaning in everything, whether it’s a novel, a scenic view, or a troubling experience such as the death of a loved one. Meaning enhances our lives and makes them richer with detail, depth, and awareness. This is similar to reading a good book. When we’re engaged in a novel, we find meaning without even realizing it. We root for the hero and we’re present from beginning to end. Similarly, we can create our own stories and define ourselves however we want. As the main characters in the story of our lives, creating and owning our stories for the ups, downs, and in-betweens, will help us more fully understand ourselves and the world around us. Here are a few ways to create your story and make meaning.

Can jogging help your recovery? Running is most known for its endurance-enhancing effects and the ability to produce mood-boosting endorphins. But can running help us with our recoveries? Exercise, in general, is great for both the mind and the body. It makes us stronger, more heart-healthy, and more in tune with ourselves. If you’re thinking about taking up jogging, you might be surprised to find that there are myriad benefits that can lead directly to a heightened overall mindset, resulting in a profound effect on your recovery and health. In this article, we’ll discuss a few of the reasons why running is a great addition to your health toolbox.

Unpacking the importance of healthy nutrition for our minds, bodies, and recoveries. Healthy nutrition is one of the essential healthy habits. Oftentimes, in our focus on sobriety and recovery, we can forget just how vital it is to be getting proper vitamins and nutrients and to be eating foods that make us feel our very best. In recovery, we need all of the physical and mental support we can get and healthy nutrition offers a foundation for greater physical and mental health. In this article, we’ll look at how healthy food choices can help us combat some of the physical effects of addiction. We’ll also examine the link between healthy eating and our mental states, as well as the importance of finding balance and knowing what works for you. Lastly, we’ll get into some of the nutritional specifics -- vitamins, minerals, caffeine, and other important factors.

Finding true friends in recovery helps us form meaningful bonds and avoid loneliness. Recovery is a brand new experience. When we start the journey, we’re often coming from pasts of isolation, loneliness, and/or friendships built around the use of substances like drugs and alcohol. Many of our family bonds have to be rebuilt from the ground up and in some ways, recovery is a rude awakening. We realize that we have to take an honest inventory of our friendships, relationships with family, and most importantly, our relationship with ourselves. Here, we’ll explore why finding true friendships in recovery is so important to our mental and emotional health.

How do we get back in touch with emotions after feeling numb? During active addiction, our emotions often get squashed beneath our dependence on drugs and/or alcohol. We learn to avoid our emotions, act on them impulsively, or stay numb to the rhythms of our feelings altogether. Negative, positive, and neutral emotions are a normal part of life. When they come rushing back in early recovery, it can be difficult to know how to sort through them or even get in touch with them in the first place. How can we access our emotions in healthy ways and understand what we’re feeling? Coping with the nuances of deep and everchanging feelings is a lifelong process. However, here are a few simple ways to get back in touch with your emotions.

The ocean is one of the most relaxing, mysterious, and expansive things on the planet. There’s a reason everyone feels great after spending a day at the beach. The ocean has many healing powers and we can reap the benefits simply by being near it. If you don’t have access to an ocean or a large body of water, visualization is a powerful tool to connect with the healing properties of the ocean. Here are a few reasons why the ocean is such a healing force.

Most of us know that exercise is a quick and healthy way to feel more positive, fit, and generally happier. Working up a sweat while using the cardiovascular system and getting in touch with the body feels good and is good for us. Exercise is known to boost endorphins, which are the chemicals in the body responsible for making us feel positive and happy. At the end of the day, the best exercise for your recovery is the one that you enjoy doing. Working out shouldn’t feel like a chore, so choose a fitness routine that you’re going to look forward to doing, rather than dread. It’s also great to switch up your routine to avoid boredom and keep things interesting. Here are a few of the best mood-boosting exercises.

The importance of finding meaning in your life through your values and vision. Throughout life, and especially in recovery, it’s common to ask questions about our life’s meaning and purpose. You might find yourself wondering why you’re here, where you’re headed, and why you’re in recovery. These questions are common and completely normal. In fact, it’s great to ask these kinds of questions, as they help us to more fully understand ourselves on more complex levels. Having a purpose helps us to navigate the world in more meaningful ways. Your purpose is like your north star. It guides you through the hard times and acts like a light that you can strive for and live by. Here are a few questions to ask yourself when trying to figure out your life purpose.

Appreciating life and recovery as seasonal, cyclical, and filled with change. Life moves in seasons and cycles, not in straight lines. We often hear the same about the recovery process. It’s not necessarily a straight line from point A to point B. Recovery is filled with cycles, seasons, ups, and downs. The end of September marks the end of the summer season and the beginning of autumn in the northern hemisphere. Seasonal transitions are an excellent time to reflect upon your progress, be present, and set goals for the season ahead. Fall, in particular, is a wonderful time to release what no longer serves you, just as the trees will be shedding their leaves. Let’s talk about a few ways to ease the transition into autumn and bid farewell to the summer.

It’s normal to feel down and out every once in a while. Recovery is an emotionally-charged time and our brains are adjusting to our substance-free life and new environments. After having relied on our substance(s) of choice, it can be difficult to know how to find those happy feelings without drugs and/or alcohol. This is where endorphins come into play. Endorphins are substances found in the body that relieve feelings of pain while increasing positive feelings. There are many simple, natural, and safe ways to increase endorphin activity in the brain. Here, we’ll examine some lifestyle habits to employ if you’re looking to boost positivity and overall happiness.