In our fast-paced society, it can be easy to get caught up in running around and forgetting to de-stress. Self-care, including reducing our stress levels, is an integral part of the recovery process. Thankfully, there are some easy ways to slow down and reduce every day stress, including yoga. With several benefits in addition to stress reduction, yoga becomes an easy choice when looking for new ways to decompress. Here, we look at 3 of the additional benefits of yoga. Increased Strength First of all, yoga increases your strength. By holding your body in proper form, you gain strength in your upper and lower body, as well as your core. You can choose more demanding styles of yoga, such as Ashtanga or Iyangar to build up more strength, but all forms will contribute to overall strength ...

By Devon Berkheiser You can build trust again! Often, building trust with loved ones is a significant part of the recovery process. It’s not uncommon for people in the midst of an addiction to engage in lying, sneaking, and other behaviors that create a loss of trust in relationships. While it can be daunting to think about repairing your important relationships, here are 5 ways to help you manage the process: 1. Be patient First and foremost, recognize that rebuilding trust takes time. Addictive behaviors may have occurred over a span of many years, so it’s not realistic to think that you’ll be able to regain trust immediately. Your friends and family members have their own feelings to work through, so give them time and space for that. It’s normal to want to make things better...

By Devon Berkheiser In early recovery, many people face a choice: whether to continue friendships with people who may still be using or to end those friendships in order to protect their own sobriety. This is not always an easy decision to make. Some using buddies may actually be long-term friends, and it can be hard to handle another important loss when you’re already dealing with so many changes in your life. Additionally, you may not have sober friends, which leaves you with the option of going back to old friendships or essentially starting over, which can feel overwhelming. If you do decide to maintain friendships with friends who are not sober, here are tips to help you manage the situation: 1. Evaluate the risk Some using buddies may be supportive of your new sobriety while ...

By Devon Berkheiser, Psy.D. Just as there are many different ways to recover, there are many different resources available to help in recovery. One great resource is books, and there are practically an unlimited number of options! From self-help books to autobiographical accounts, here are our picks for interesting and inspiring recovery-oriented books: 1. "Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom," by Rick Hanson This book focuses on more than just addiction, exploring how readers can work toward greater overall well-being. It provides information about the core functions of the brain (regulating, learning, valuing), along with practical applications of neuroscience to everyday life. 2. "Her Best Kept Secret," by Gabrielle Glaser In this info...

By Devon Berkheiser, Psy.D. Recovery is a major change that affects your entire lifestyle. When your energy is not spent on obtaining or using a desired substance, you might wonder what to do with your time or how to exist in “normal” life. Additionally, it’s common for people in early recovery to experience something of a slump after the first few weeks of sobriety. Perhaps you were expecting everything to be magically better once you got sober, but instead feel disappointed with the somewhat mundane nature of life in recovery. Although it can be a big transition, there are some things that you can do in order to make the adjustment to regular life easier. Here are 5 tips for getting used to normal life: 1. Learn to tolerate boredom and discomfort While we all want to experien...

Discomfort is an unavoidable feeling. Anxiety, depression, anger, urges… these can be uncomfortable, even painful, experiences. While you may be tempted to avoid discomfort or to attempt to make it go away as quickly as possible, struggling against discomfort typically intensifies it. Alternatively, accepting that pain is just a part of life can actually make a painful experience easier to bear. In other words, the most effective way to deal with discomfort/pain is often to learn how to tolerate it. Your beliefs play a role in your ability to tolerate discomfort. If you tell yourself that discomfort is unbearable or that you shouldn’t have to feel any pain, then you will likely make the situation more challenging. Instead, try using coping statements such as “I can get through this” ...

Focusing on the past can lead to feelings of regret and guilt. Similarly, thinking about the future can create anxiety and worry. Sometimes, the best thing to do is to stay in the present moment—to be mindful. To be mindful means to be aware of your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations without judging or criticizing yourself or your experience. Mindfulness is a great tool for managing cravings, anxiety, and other emotions/experiences that are difficult to handle. Here is a simple mindful breathing exercise to get you started: Sit or stand in a comfortable position. Slowly inhale through your nose, counting to five. Exhale from your mouth, counting to eight. Repeat several times. The key to mindfulness is to be present and maintain focus on the moment. Thoughts will come; si...