When in recovery, it’s important to practice healthy self-care habits. It may be difficult to start a routine, but the more you stick with it, the easier it becomes. For some, it may be difficult to know what healthy self-care habits look like, let alone how to practice them. That is why those in addiction treatment are taught about self-care and how best to practice it as part of their recovery. It’s never too late to learn how to practice self-care, especially when there are mental health care professionals who can guide you.
The best way to start is to understand what self-care is and how it can impact your life.
What Is Self-Care?
Self-care is when someone engages in regular behaviors that ensure their health and well-being. It’s a holistic practice that isn’t only used to maintain health; it is also used to navigate the difficulties we face in life. Most people practice self-care habits daily without noticing it. Brushing your teeth, eating vegetables, and taking a walk are all forms of self-care habits. Many people learn these habits as children and continue to practice them as part of daily life. It also involves learning how to manage stress, getting proper rest, and taking time to practice mindfulness.
Self-care is not to be used as an excuse to ignore parts of life that are difficult. For example, it’s okay to take an hour to have a nice bath to relax as a form of self-care. However, it’s not okay and even dangerous to ignore hygiene, nutrition, and exercise for days at a time. Healthy self-care habits are flexible, which allows someone to engage in healthy behaviors to the best of their ability. Someone without the energy to brush their teeth with a toothbrush can instead swish their mouth out with mouthwash.
If someone has difficulties performing some types of self-care, there is usually a solution that will make it more accessible. Talking to a mental health care professional is a great way to find workarounds to make sure you can practice self-care habits. It’s okay to need extra help, especially when getting into a new routine.
What Are Examples of Self-Care Habits in Recovery?
When someone is in recovery, that means that they have overcome their addiction and now live a sober life. How people can protect their recovery is to practice self-care habits, some of which can be grouped into general categories.
Physical: Maintaining a healthy body is essential, so many self-care habits are based on maintaining your body. Some examples of proper physical self-care include:
- Getting proper sleep and taking time to rest after intensive activity
- Eating good foods regularly and drinking plenty of water
- Exercising daily
- Keeping your living space clean and maintaining physical hygiene
- Getting checkups from a doctor
Mental: Staying in a good state of mind is also important. The most well-known form of self-care is stress management, where someone engages in activities that lower stress. However, other mental health care habits are also important. Some examples include:
- Practicing mindfulness
- Thinking positively about yourself
- Engaging your mind daily
Spiritual: The spirit is the essence of ourselves that governs our confidence and self-esteem and determines how strong our willpower is. It can be a difficult thing to fully define, but many people will engage in self-care habits to maintain and build up their sense of self. The most common examples of such self-care methods are engaging with nature and engaging in healthy activities and hobbies that bring satisfaction and fulfillment.
Social: Human beings are social animals, and we suffer greatly from isolation. As a result, many self-care habits deal with social issues. Some examples of these include:
- Engaging with your support network
- Recognizing and removing toxic influences from your life
- Finding ways to reward yourself in a healthy way
- Setting healthy boundaries
How Does Painted Desert Recovery Help Me Learn Healthy Self-Care Habits?
At Painted Desert Recovery, care is taken to make sure that each person who enters our facility will leave knowing healthy self-care habits. This is done organically through practice and guidance. The compassionate staff of qualified mental health care professionals will not judge someone for being unaware of some types of self-care. Instead, clients are treated with respect and given chances to ask questions and learn in a safe and supportive environment.
Some therapies offered at Painted Desert Recovery can jump-start someone on the way to building self-care habits. The nutritional therapy program can help clients learn how to eat regular healthy meals. Art therapy can give a client a way to find deep satisfaction in their lives and manage stress. Equine therapy encourages clients to go outdoors and find comfort in animals and nature. Group therapy helps clients form social connections and find support from their fellow peers. Everything learned in these therapies and more can build a strong foundation of self-care that can help someone stay in recovery.
The first step to achieving recovery is to reach out for help.
Self-care is an important part of addiction treatment and recovery. Without it, people can burn out and spiral back into unhealthy habits. It’s why at Painted Desert Recovery in New Harmony, Utah, our clients learn the skills they need to practice healthy forms of self-care. With the help of our qualified mental health care professionals, clients also learn that they are deserving of care. With these learned skills, anyone can manage their levels of stress and make healthy choices. Perhaps the most important aspect of self-care is recognizing when you need help. Anyone can recover from addiction, including yourself and the people you love. To learn more about addiction treatment, call (844) 540-0353 today.
