The Role of Nature in Healing Can Bring Some Peace to the Journey

Healing from addiction is not easy. The journey is filled with challenges. Even when a person is mentally positive, they might need an extra boost to get some support. Getting outdoors has some benefits. Nature is a great way to experience peace and calming after a challenging day or just to get outside. The mental health benefits are being touted right now as a way to get people off screens into nature, spending time outdoors, and thinking more positively about what they want for their recovery. Find out why and how nature works in this way and ways to tap into it for yourself. 

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How Do I Find Peace in Recovery?

When you overcome addiction, it takes courage and commitment. It also takes heaps of focus because you have to have your eye on the prize (every single day). It feels like you are stressed out just trying to find peace. That’s not how you want to be in recovery. If you add to that the stress of dealing with cravings and daily life, you just might never leave your house. If you want to find some peace in recovery, you will need some tips to help get you started.

Balance

One of the keys to finding inner peace is balance. If you practice relaxation, it helps balance your brain by creating calm chemistry. Breathwork (breathe in, hold, breathe out to a count of 4 in, 4 out) can be an easy, effective way to reduce cortisol and other stress hormones.

Build the Brain

Consistently making healthy food and exercise choices helps condition your brain by nourishing it with the right amount and kind of glucose (brain’s energy source) while also training your brain to self-regulate in the stress/distress cycle.

Boost the Brain

If you train your brain to function in certain ways by learning to focus, it helps enforce your attention. One way to do this:

  • Focus your intention
  • Try it multiple times per day to train your brain
  • Prioritize what is important to you

When you are trying to release a well-worn habit, it is normal to experience stressful moments that feel out-of-control. The next time you have one of those, coach yourself with these two statements: change is happening and I’m growing and know what you can do to give yourself more energy to let this happen.

The final step is to take action based on these answers. If you shift yourself out of the freeze response into motion, it helps reduce stress. If you activate your internal power and help yourself move closer to your goals, you are internalizing the things you are learning in recovery to help make better choices. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to give yourself over the power you already have and let yourself make better choices in recovery. If you are struggling with this, you are not alone. There is help available to support your goals in recovery and give you a better chance at making good choices.

A Step in the Right Direction provides quality care for clients seeking support for addiction recovery. We teach people how to live a sober life through programs, therapeutic support, and evidence-based therapies. Our recovery program is staffed by people who understand the power of addiction. For more information sober living programs for men and women as well as recovery programs, call (877) 377-3702.

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How Do I Find More Rest in Recovery?

Finding peace every day of recovery can feel like a daunting task. Now you are on the other side of addiction, it feels like you should be more at peace than you are in this moment. It can feel hard to know how to lean into rest in spaces that feel heavy, dark, or laborious. Recovery is a challenge in many ways but finding rest is key to working past the first weeks, months, even years in recovery from addiction.

Being Not Doing

One of the hardest invitations is the one to be, not do. An initial response to this might look something like denial. Denial there is a problem in resting, or denial that there is a need to rest now that you have so much to do in recovery. There may seem a mile-long to-do list waiting for you every day. The most important thing to focus on is your healing journey. Relaxation is revolutionary for most people because it means stopping work to focus on healing. When you embrace the concept of just being present to rest, you will have an easier time letting go of the to-do list and start making the journey towards rest.

Breakaway

When you get away from life for a time, it is a reminder of how much you needed that rest. Perhaps you are surrendering into the idea of a vacation, a staycation, or just restful moments throughout the day. Whatever it is, don’t hesitate to build in breakaway moments so you can find rest. Perhaps you opt to stay home for a few days on a weekend and soak up your own space for a time. Maybe it is delighting in a fun hobby you put on the back burner or a project you want to dive into. For people in recovery, it is crucial to take time to rest and recreate the wellness process you began when you quit using drugs. A vacation is not a break from life. It is a break for life. Framing time off in this way is empowering so that you can make healthy changes to your diet as a self-care practice.

Staycation

Not everybody can go to the beach or enjoy a holiday away. The following activities let you take personal time for yourself and schedule time just to rest:

  • Go into nature
  • Work with your hands
  • Try audio books or read a book
  • Check out some music
  • Do yoga at home in your own pace
  • Explore cultures, foods, or other things locally you don’t normally do
  • Get a massage
  • Canoe or kayak
  • Enjoy a quiet night in with a favorite movie

Sober vacations are also great ways to get away from home and remind yourself a break from daily life is good for the soul. It is best to travel with friends or people who respect your decision to be sober. There are vacation planners who will help you be surrounded by fellow travelers. Be prepared to improvise and plan well. The unexpected is part of the experience but so, too, should time of rest and relaxation. When you have time to rest, your body and mind have space to heal.

Our goal at A Step in the Right Direction is to provide healing spaces for recovery. If you need rest, a break from life, we are here to help you in recovery. Our recovery program is staffed by people who understand the power of addiction. For more information sober living programs for men and women as well as recovery programs, call (877) 377-3702.

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