6 Healthy Ways to Cope with Stress
- / Recovery
Whether it’s a personal relationship, job crisis or illness in the family, life is full of stressors. In many cases, those who have abused drugs in their pasts began using to cope with stress they were experiencing at the time. When leaving our Boulder drug treatment center and returning to civilian life, it is important to establish healthy ways of coping with stress that do not involve drug or alcohol use so you can avoid that temptation.
Here are a few drug-free ways of coping with stress:
1. Escape into Nature
At Choice House, we are huge proponents of outdoor adventure therapy. By getting outdoors and experiencing nature, we are filled with a sense of calm and rejuvenation. Plus, being active releases endorphins that help deal with stress.
2. Engage in Creative Activity
When life is getting stressful, turn to your creative side to release negative energy. Our art therapists teach participants how to channel their artistic side to relieve stress. If visual art isn’t your forte, writing and constructing are also great releases.
3. Practice Mindfulness
Breathe in, breathe out. Never underestimate the power of mindful meditation and quiet reflection time. Connecting yourself with the environment around you can help you take a step back and deal with the stressor in an objective, logical manner.
4. Surround Yourself with the 12-Step Community
One of the best parts about the 12-Step Program taught during our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) is the strong brotherhood that is created. 12-Step participants understand the struggles caused by past drug addiction, and a listening ear can go a long way.
5. Find Your Sense of Purpose
It’s easy to forget that stress is not always caused by chaotic situations or too much happening. Sometimes, mental stress is most prevalent when there is a lack of purpose, joy or fulfillment in one’s life. During our initial 90-day treatment program, we help participants reclaim their passion for life. Continue this mindset by engaging in activities in which you find purpose and meaning.
6. Talk to a Counselor
Counseling sessions aren’t solely for the initial drug treatment program. Therapy and counseling can be continued long after leaving a drug rehabilitation facility. Talking through complicated emotions and life’s hardships with a licensed professional is a valuable way to manage stress.
Stress will always be a part of life, but the way you cope with this stress will make all the difference. Learn more about Choice House’s Boulder sober living homes and addiction programs today: 720-577-4422 or jordan@choicehouse.com.