Top Tips for Becoming More Mindful
In addiction recovery, you’ll often hear the concept of mindfulness come up. While it’s one thing to talk about this healthy habit in theory, you may struggle to incorporate it into your daily life – especially since drug and alcohol abuse is the opposite of mindfulness. What does becoming more mindful look like, and how can you achieve this goal?
1. Do a Morning Meditation
You can set a positive tone for your entire day by routinely meditating as soon as you wake up each morning. Instead of mindlessly reaching for your phone or turning on the TV, take five to 10 minutes to sit quietly with your thoughts. Think about the things on your to-do list for the day, and mentally envision yourself accomplishing them. Once this practice becomes ingrained as a habit, you might find your morning meditation sessions naturally getting longer.
2. Bring Mindfulness Into Daily Activities
From eating to showering to household chores, we tend to do many things in our lives on autopilot. The goal is to move through them as quickly as possible so you can do something more enjoyable, like watching TV. But how much of your day are you wasting by not stopping to do everything more deliberately? When showering, pay close attention to the feel of the warm water on your skin. How does the soap smell? Are there any other sensory cues you can focus on, such as the color and texture of the tiles in your bathroom? By bringing more awareness and intention to daily activities, you will start to appreciate them more.
3. Set Limits on Screen Time
If you have children, you may keep tabs on how much time you allow them to spend using their computer, phone, tablet or TV. After all, we’ve heard so much about the adverse effects of screen time on developing minds. But as an adult, you probably haven’t thought about how time with your devices might be affecting you, too. When you set designated times to use technology and make your bedroom a tech-free zone, you’ll be happier, healthier, less stressed and more mindful.
4. Enjoy Nature More
Getting out in the natural world is an excellent way to bring mindfulness into your life. Go to your nearest park, or do yoga in your backyard. Enjoy the sunlight and warmth, the feel of the breeze, the sounds of birds singing and the smell of growing plants. Because being in nature is naturally therapeutic, even a few moments outside can help center you and improve your mood for the rest of the day.
5. Narrow Your Focus
How do you tackle your daily to-do list? Many of us think we can get more accomplished by juggling multiple projects simultaneously, but multitasking torpedoes your productivity and causes stress levels to skyrocket. Instead of allowing your to-dos to overwhelm you, work on one thing at a time, in a place where you can concentrate fully on the task at hand. Stick with the assignment until you finish it, then take a break to refresh your energy and enthusiasm for the next one.
6. Develop a Habit of Gratitude
Gratitude links to mindfulness because it requires you to be more aware of the pattern of your day. Even when nothing seems to be going your way, you can still find things to be grateful for. Consider keeping a gratitude journal where you write down at least one thing to be happy about each day. You can share your gratitude journal with the world by putting it online, or keep your thoughts private.
Becoming More Mindful in Recovery
After you decide to declare your independence from drug and alcohol abuse, you will need to develop healthy coping strategies to help you move forward with your new life. Mindfulness is one of the life skills you can hone in inpatient rehab that will benefit you as you pursue your ongoing sobriety. At Beach House, we combine clinical excellence with a culture of love and acceptance. To learn more, please contact us today.