Most people deal with stress frequently. For those with a substance use disorder (SUD), knowing how to manage stress can make the difference in long-term recovery or relapse.
Remove stress from your life where and when you can. There’s little chance of eliminating all stress from your life, but you don’t have to. Rather, learn to manage stress effectively. When you do, you’ll be ready to take on the challenges as they come.
Understand What Stress Is
Stress is your body’s natural and normal reaction to risk. When a threat exists, your brain releases hormones into your bloodstream to stimulate your heart to work faster, your lungs to pump quicker, and your body’s muscles to tense to fight or flee. In an emergency, this is a very good thing, but for everyday stress, it’s crippling, exhausting, and impossible to maintain. Your body needs help. That’s where stress management techniques can work to ease you out of those tense moments.
The Most Effective Stress Management Strategies for Addiction
People in addiction recovery will face stress. In the past, you may have sought alcohol or drugs to minimize those tense feelings and racing thoughts. Substances like these work as coping mechanisms to get you through those challenges.
Instead of those behaviors, consider applying stress management strategies like the following that can replace substances and still provide the relief you need.
Exercise
It may not seem like exercise can be stress-relieving, but it’s one of the most effective ways to burn the stress hormone from your bloodstream. Exercise releases endorphins, which counteract cortisol (that pesky stress hormone we want to get rid of). You don’t have to go to the gym every time. Consider engaging in activities that you enjoy, such as:
- Going for a brisk walk. Walking away stress really does work, whether on a treadmill or around a park.
- If you wake up anxious and overwhelmed, try a jog.
- Go to the local recreation center for a swim after a long day at work.
- Dance. Turn on music that speaks to you and move your body.
- Engage in yoga. Even some stretching can help, but consider taking a yoga class for consistent stress recovery.
Any type of movement will help you improve your mental clarity, calm your body, and reduce tension. Do what you can do physically.
Mindfulness
Another important way to control stress is to manage your thought processes. In cognitive behavioral therapy, a type of therapy you may have in addiction treatment, you’ll learn to recognize negative and often inappropriate thoughts. Recognizing them creates the opportunity for you to change those thought patterns.
With mindfulness, consider taking control over your thought processes. For example, when stress is causing you to spiral, with your heart racing and muscles tensing, take a deep breath. Step away from everything (even if you have to visit the restroom to do so). Collect your thoughts. Be mindful of your thoughts.
- Is your mind making a small situation a big concern?
- Are you anxious and worrying about things you cannot control?
- What is the reality of the situation right now?
By taking these steps, you regain control over your thought patterns and can change their direction. That often can provide fast relief in the moment. Try to practice mindfulness on a routine basis to keep stress levels lower.
Use Breathwork
If you think about what stress is doing in your mind, you can see how breathing can play an important role in seeking relaxation. Your heart is pumping hard, your lungs are moving quickly, and your mind is racing. Stop and take a deep breath. That simple act slows your breathing rate, which also helps slow your heart rate.
Breathwork involves more than this. You’ll also want to incorporate deep breathing, meditation, and reflection into the process. Deep breathing, in through your nose deeply, expanding your abdomen when you do, and releasing through your mouth, can create fast results.
Other Stress Busting Strategies for Addiction
If you’re looking for additional ways to reduce stress in an effective manner, consider adding these steps to your day.
- Spend time in the sun or just in nature itself. It has a natural ability to calm the mind and supports your immune system.
- Practice gratitude. Even as your mind is worrying about 200 things, take a deep breath and vocalize a long list of the things you’re grateful for right now.
- Learn to meditate. You just need 10 minutes a day to make meditation work effectively.
- Get social. Sometimes the best way to reduce stress is to talk it out with a good friend or even a complete stranger at an addiction recovery meeting.
- Find something else to worry about – in reality, for some people, this is essential. If you cannot control something, look for another area of your life that’s important to you to focus on.
Finding Your Path Through Addiction Recovery
There’s no simple way to navigate stress, and there’s certainly no way to eliminate it. However, when stress seems to be taking control, it’s time to find help. Turn to The Ranch at Dove Tree for immediate help. Contact us for an assessment and immediate help when life is simply too stressful to manage alone.
