If you’ve experienced substance use disorder (SUD), you’ve probably developed many unhealthy habits. Once you start recovery, however, it’s more important than ever to create healthy alternatives. In fact, replacing bad habits is one of the most powerful things you can do for recovery success.
Healthy Alternatives: New Habits, New Routines
When you’re struggling with SUD, your life often revolves around substances. Bad habits and SUD go hand-in-hand. Addiction is, of course, a bad habit in and of itself.
If your life revolves around substances, it can be easy to let any healthy routines you once had fall by the wayside. This is why it’s important to identify the unhealthy habits you have in place. Being honest with yourself is the first step to creating healthy new routines that will support your recovery.
How Habits Are Formed
People with SUD usually need to implement lifestyle changes. This means new habits should be formed.
According to an article published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, research has indicated that “individuals in good health engage in highly routine health behaviors.” These routine health behaviors are otherwise known as habits. The article also mentions that it can take a little over 60 days to form a habit, but this can vary significantly among individuals.
Celebrate Every Small Win
If you’re implementing healthy alternatives in recovery, don’t be too hard on yourself if it takes a bit longer for your new habits and routines to take effect.
The most important thing to do is be easy on yourself as you navigate a brand-new lifestyle with many changes. Celebrate yourself for each small step you take. Smaller, consistent changes will create the greatest results.
Healthy Alternatives and Holistic Healing
As we’ve been discussing, when you’re in recovery, it’s more important than ever to explore healthy alternatives in place of bad habits and routines. Both traditional and holistic healing modalities can help you form new routines and find long-term recovery success.
According to Substance Abuse: Research and Treatment, research has shown that “individuals in recovery have up to 16 to 18 hours of new, unoccupied free time.” The reason for this is that they no longer require time for “obtaining, using, and recovering from the effects of substances.”
This is why implementing structured time and healthy alternatives is crucial. Having this structure is especially important within the first few months of recovery.
Physical Wellness
When people think of forming healthy new routines, overall wellness usually comes to mind. Healthy eating, exercise, and good sleep create a great start in replacing the bad habits associated with SUD.
Getting consistent exercise, eating clean foods, and obtaining adequate sleep can all have powerful benefits for recovery. These lifestyle measures can make you feel healthier, happier, and more energized, which can ease cravings and triggers. Having a positive wellness routine can even boost your confidence and lead to long-term health benefits.
Traditional Therapies
Being able to process your thoughts and emotions in a healthy way is extremely important for recovery success. Traditional recovery modalities like talk therapy can help you do just that.
Having regular traditional talk therapy appointments can also provide a solid structure to your days. This is why it’s a good idea to seek a recovery program that places a strong emphasis on structured days, like the one at The Guest House. We offer traditional talk therapies alongside holistic modalities to give you a dynamic and comprehensive approach to recovery.
Holistic Modalities
Last but not least, healthy alternatives like holistic modalities can do wonders for your recovery journey. More and more treatment programs have been offering these modalities as a complement to traditional methods.
Research has shown that Eastern holistic practices like meditation, mindfulness, and yoga have a wide variety of benefits for recovery. Creating a new daily routine incorporating these practices can help you rewrite unhealthy habits.
The more consistent you are with using these holistic modalities, the more you will feel a sense of inner peace, focus, and confidence. These feelings will help you through recovery and lead to a life of fulfillment and purpose even after you have finished treatment.
Finding Healthy Alternatives at The Guest House
If you’re looking for healthy alternatives to support your recovery journey, look no further than The Guest House. We offer a wide array of traditional and holistic therapies to help you heal the mind, body, and soul. Our comprehensive program is tailored to you, the individual, which gives you a better chance for long-term success.
At The Guest House, you’ll find tried-and-true traditional modalities like talk therapy that will help you move through difficult thoughts and feelings in an empowering way. We also offer a huge range of holistic therapies like meditation, yoga, and more.
This cutting-edge blend of modalities will help you find the methods that help you the most on your journey. Here, you’ll find the structure and support to create healthy new habits that promote lasting recovery success.
If you’ve experienced substance use disorder (SUD), you’re likely no stranger to unhealthy habits and routines. Success in recovery will depend on your ability to replace the old habits with healthy alternatives. At The Guest House, we give you the tools, support, and therapies you need to create healthy new routines and a whole new lifestyle. Our cutting-edge blend of traditional and holistic therapies allows you to explore the methods that work best for your unique healing journey. With world-class support and a beautiful setting, The Guest House provides a place to create new patterns in your life that support long-lasting success in recovery. Call us today at (855) 483-7800.