One of the advantages of mindfulness is seamlessly introducing it in virtually every aspect of your life. It’s why it is a staple of many residential treatment programs. You can take this strategy with you everywhere you go and use it when you need it. For anyone who hasn’t been introduced to it or needs a refresher, let’s talk about some best practices of mindfulness you can start using today.
Mindful meditation can be part of dual diagnosis treatment for substance use and mental health disorders. The ability to raise your state of awareness in recovery is valuable. Mindfulness during recovery can help become aware of feelings, thoughts, and even physical sensations you didn’t realize were lurking under the surface. Practicing it can be done solo in a quiet environment. Breathing exercises are a basic part of mindful meditation, and learning to live in the moment can begin by making it a daily ritual.
What is mindfulness?
It’s simply a higher state of awareness. Through mindfulness, you become aware of your thoughts, your feelings, and your bodily sensations. It’s a check-in with all aspects of yourself. But, it’s not easy for everybody to shut out the distractions of life to get mindful daily.
You can incorporate mindfulness during recovery into every aspect of your day once you learn to master it. A terrific way to start is to practice it in a quiet setting while you meditate. How do you mindfully meditate? Let’s share some tips for beginners here.
Meditation Tips for Addicts
- Focus on breathing.
You may think no one needs to teach you how to breathe. But, breathing during mindful meditation is different. Sitting in a comfortable place, just close your eyes and listen to the breaths you take. Pay attention to how you inhale and exhale. Visualize those inhaling breaths as cleansing your mind, body, and spirit. Think of those exhaling breaths as letting the stress out of your body. Music or other distractions aren’t necessary here. You want to be able to hear every breath.
- Take it slow.
Mindfulness during recovery isn’t a race to a finish line. It isn’t about checking boxes of what you accomplished while doing it. It’s a clean break between what came before and what comes next in the day. It’s a moment all its own so let’s not rush it. Take your time to check in with all areas of yourself. With your mind quieted and your focus on your body, you may start to feel some sensations you didn’t know were there.
- Practice compassion.
Compassion comes from a sensitivity that gets nurtured over time. When it gets neglected, we can lose our sense of empathy for others. One compassion exercise can be to think of someone in your life who’s been difficult to be around. Find the ways you two share some common ground. Like you, are they trying to learn new things? Are they experiencing loneliness and discouragement? Are they just trying to get their needs met? Practicing compassion can help bring us a sense of peace and restore that peace when conflict arises.
- Let go of resentment.
Where does your resentment come from? It could have been created by fear or anger or distrust. It could be what’s keeping you from moving forward in your life and in your recovery. Letting go can come in a variety of ways during mindful meditation. You could visualize it as a list of griefs you have with others and the erasing of each item on the list. The resentment could be represented by making a fist, tightening it, and slowly opening your hand. As you feel the change in the physical sensation in your hand, think about the resentment floating away.
- Live in the moment.
In an age dominated by mobile devices, living in the moment feels especially challenging. We look around and see people engaged by games, videos, and social media content coming from another place. It can be a huge distraction to devote so much time to the virtual world. Living in the moment is about recognizing where you are and responding to the environment you’re in. It’s among the ways to improve meditation and its value. One exercise to try, with your eyes closed, is moving your focus around the room, and “seeing” what’s in each section around you. Imagine the details of furniture or a painting on the wall. Open your eyes, look at these items, and see what you’ve been missing without mindfulness during recovery.
Learn more at Origins Texas.
Does meditation help treat addiction? Origins Texas provides mindfulness and meditation as part of programs for adults who are ready for a sober life. The skills taught in these sessions support the work that happens in individual and group therapy. They give patients an opportunity to practice these strategies while working on their sobriety in many other ways. Patients with a substance use and co-occurring mental disorder find Origins Texas to be a place to start healing in a sustainable way. For questions on mindfulness during recovery and dual diagnosis treatment at our facility, contact us at any time for yourself or the needs of someone you love.
Origins Recovery Center is a well-known care provider offering a range of treatment programs targeting the recovery from substance use, mental health issues, and beyond. Our primary mission is to provide a clear path to a life of healing and restoration. We offer renowned clinical care for addiction and have the compassion and professional expertise to guide you toward lasting sobriety. For information on our programs, call us today: 844-232-3833.
