One of the major aspects of having a successful recovery is learning how to properly manage stress. In the past, during stressful moments you may have turned towards substances to try to escape these overwhelming feelings, which of course wasn’t a permanent solution.
As you learned that substance abuse only leads to self-destructive behavior and short term relief you made the first step of deciding to walk down the path to sobriety.
But what happens now when life inevitably gets a bit hectic? Meditation is an excellent way to take control back over your mind.
The benefits of meditation are numerous and can make a positive impact on your addiction recovery. Continue reading to learn the top 5 benefits of incorporating meditation into your recovery.
1. Stress Management
As someone recovering from an addiction, stress can be a huge relapse trigger. And let's face it, life is bound to have stressful moments.
These moments arise from various sources like work, family, emotions, or even places. By practicing meditation you increase your capacity to manage these everyday stresses.
Meditation brings your focus back to the present and allows you to calm your mind so that stress can just pass over you without knocking you back.
2. Fighting Illness
Holding onto stress does not only have a negative effect on your mental wellbeing but also has a negative effect on physical health. To have a successful recovery you want both your mind and body to be balanced and healthy.
Too much stress depletes your immune system and can make you more susceptible to feeling sick and run down. By incorporating a regular meditation practice into your routine you can reduce your risk of illness and anxiety.
Meditation has also shown to relieve sleeping disorders, asthma, and risks of high blood pressure.
3. Calms the Mind
When on a journey to recovery, your mind can be flooded with holding onto past mistakes or worry about the future. And sometimes you can feel mentally foggy or have a hard time focusing on the moment you’re experiencing.
Meditation is an excellent way to combat this and bring about mental clarity. You’ll experience a greater sense of calm within your mind, and an appreciation for the present moment. Meditation allows you to take your recovery one day at a time instead of getting overwhelmed.
4. Aids with Withdrawals
It's common when starting sobriety to have feelings of withdrawal. These feelings often stem from your minds hyperfocus on the substances you are avoiding.
Meditation can help shift your mind from focusing on that to focusing on the here and now so you experience less intense feelings of withdrawal.
5. Creates Inner Peace
The early stages of recovery can be filled with stress and turmoil. A big part of the journey to recovery is learning how to replace your responses during hard times.
Meditation can help you gain a sense of inner peace and acceptance for where you are currently in life. This practice brings you a sense of fulfillment and self-satisfaction that you were seeking when you turned to substance abuse initially.
Experiencing the Benefits Of Meditation
Meditation can be a great tool to not only as you get through recovery but for the rest of your life. Try out this practice for yourself to experience the many benefits of meditation. For more tips on staying sober, check out our blog.