Too Much Stress Puts Stress on Your Sobriety
It perhaps goes without saying that a lot of people—including, perhaps, you—are under a lot of stress a lot of the time. That stress might be related to work. It might stem from difficult relationships with family members, friends, or colleagues. You might be stressed about financial issues, health issues, or societal issues. Or you might be stressed by some combination—or even all—of those things.
And other sources of stress can pop up without warning. For example, you might get a flat tire on your way to work or your dog won’t stop barking for some unidentifiable reason or your kid reveals that they have a big project—that they have no idea how to do—due tomorrow.
All of that stress can feel truly overwhelming. If you are a person in recovery from a substance use disorder, that feeling of being overwhelmed by stress poses a serious threat to your hard-won sobriety. That is because when you are weighed down by stress, it can be all too tempting to try to ease the burden by turning back to drugs or alcohol.
Obviously, that is not the path you want to go down, so it is important to develop habits that help you manage stress effectively every day so that it is less likely to tempt you to give up your sobriety.
Here are some ideas for managing stress to help you keep your sobriety intact.
Make Smart Choices Around Diet, Exercise, and Sleep
It is easier to deal with the stressors in your life—and to stay sober—when you are physically and mentally healthy. When you make healthy choices related to food, exercise, and sleep, you are supporting your overall well-being.
Making good nutritional choices might include increasing the amount of fruits and vegetables in your diet and reducing the amount of sugar and heavily processed foods you consume. Making good choices around exercise might mean starting with something as simple as a daily 10-minute walk. Making good sleep choices might include setting (and sticking to) a regular bedtime and making sure you power down your screen well before that time arrives.
When you are physically and mentally healthy, you are more resilient—and that makes you better able to handle stress.
Build Short, Medium, and Long Breaks into Your Schedule
When you are busy, it can seem impossible to take a break. That might mean you regularly work through lunch or over the weekend. It might mean that you have stopped engaging in activities you used to enjoy. And it might mean that you seldom, if ever, take a day off.
It might feel as though you have to stay busy all of the time to keep up with everything you have to do. But the fact is that taking breaks actually improves your productivity while also reducing your stress levels. That’s good for you and your sobriety.
So, we recommend taking a real lunch break each day away from your desk or workstation. We also recommend building time into your schedule to spend on a hobby you find truly engaging. And we absolutely recommend that you use your vacation days. These short, medium, and longer breaks are essential tools for tamping down stress in your life.
Encourage Your Mind to Stay In the Present Rather Than Rushing Ahead
One ongoing cause of stress is constant worry about the future. What will happen if you miss a deadline or if your boss doesn’t like your idea? What will happen if you can’t figure out a plan for the holidays that makes everyone equally happy? What will happen if your child doesn’t turn their grades around?
It is only natural to worry about such things, but too often, we let our minds race ahead and play out a variety of awful—and wholly hypothetically—scenarios that might happen. You can do yourself and your sobriety a favor by gently encouraging your mind to stay present in the current moment.
Mindfulness practice and yoga are two approaches to training yourself and your mind to stay grounded in the present. Either (or both) provides a template for keeping your focus on what is happening right now rather than on what might happen in the future (or replaying what did happen in the past). Living fully in the moment can be an effective way to lower your stress levels.
Don’t Stress Out About Getting the Help You Need
At Wooded Glen Recovery Center, we help individuals who are struggling with substance use disorders and co-existing mental health disorders. Located in Henryville, Indiana, Wooded Glen has been named one of the nation’s best substance use disorder treatment centers for each of the last two years. That means you can count on us to provide evidence-based treatment supported by our expertise, experience, and empathy.
A substance use disorder is an ongoing cause of extreme stress. Overcoming that disorder offers a wonderful sense of relief and possibility. If you are ready to move in that direction, we are ready to help.