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The Importance of Relaxation in Recovery

Sometimes when we think about addiction recovery, we associate it with all of the hard work we’ll be undertaking. We see it as a serious journey of self-exploration, rebuilding our lives and healing from deeply rooted pain. We have some very complex issues to work through. An important element in the hard work we do, ironically, is relaxation. Many of us have learned destructive habits of beating ourselves up, working too hard, and never giving ourselves a break. We’re perfectionists. We work ourselves into the ground because we think that will compensate for our mistakes and wrongdoings. We bury ourselves in our work to avoid thinking about our pain. We escape into rigorous work as a distraction, in much the same way we do with drugs, alcohol and other addictive substances and behaviors. We forget how important it is to relax and let ourselves just be. We associate inactivity with laziness and irresponsibility, not realizing that down time is crucial to our healing.

When we relax, we allow our minds, hearts and bodies to absorb all of the lessons we’ve learned. If we don’t relax, we never have a chance to pause and reflect. We miss out on valuable opportunities to connect with ourselves and develop our self-awareness. Moments of stillness, silence and space allow us time for introspection and therefore growth. Transformation can’t happen when we’re always plowing full steam ahead. Our evolution requires that we make time to collect our thoughts and process things for ourselves. Relaxation is a part of our learning process. When we don’t make time to relax, we miss out on important opportunities for expansion.

One of the important lessons we learn in recovery is that sometimes we simply need to give ourselves a break. We’re overly hard on ourselves. We push ourselves too hard and too far. We judge ourselves and are unnecessarily harsh with ourselves. Learning to relax teaches us to be kinder and gentler with ourselves. It teaches us the importance of having patience and understanding with ourselves. It reminds us that the recovery process is a marathon, not a sprint. It is the journey, not some finite destination. It took years of our lives for our addictions to develop into the overpowering illnesses that they became. Healing from them won’t happen overnight, and when we relax more, we let nature run its course and aid in our healing process. Relaxation teaches us to have faith, in ourselves, in our higher power and in our healing. It teaches us to approach our healing naturally and organically, without pushing so hard, so that we can allow the passage of time to help us recover.

The caring, compassionate staff of The Guest House is here to support you as you start your journey to recovery and healing. Call 855-483-7800 today for more information.