7 Ways to Be Happier in Recovery

Recovery is challenging, and negative emotions can get in the way of success. Here are seven ways to be happier in recovery.

Negative emotions like anger, frustration, and resentment can put a wrench in your recovery. Additionally, stress and cravings can put a damper on your mood and bring you closer to relapse. Positive thoughts for recovering addicts help reduce your risk of relapse and lead to greater happiness in recovery. Maintaining a stable mood and reducing negative feelings is crucial for success. Here are seven ways to be happier in recovery.

1. Eat a healthy diet.

The food you put in your body can make or break your mood. A healthy diet that’s mostly plant-based helps undo the damage done to your body by drug abuse, but it can also improve your mood in several key ways.

• It reduces stress and cravings that can make you cranky and irritable.
• It promotes optimal brain function for a better mood.
• It improves sleep.
• It improves your energy levels.

Eating regularly is also crucial for improving your mood. Eating every four hours or so helps you maintain stable blood sugar, which reduces negative feelings and mood swings.

2. Meditate.

Daily meditation is one of the best ways to be happier in recovery. Meditation brings a higher level of self-awareness and mindfulness that can help you identify the source of negative emotions and work to reduce them. It’s also highly effective for reducing stress, which can leave you feeling unhappy and overwhelmed, and it promotes positive thinking in recovery.

3. Exercise.

Harvard University points to research that shows exercise to be as effective as medication for treating depression in some people. Exercise improves your mood by releasing “feel good” brain chemicals, and it’s highly effective for reducing short-term and long-term stress. Of all the ways to be happier in recovery, regular exercise is among the best.

4. Get a good night’s sleep.

Adequate sleep is important for many reasons, including keeping your mood stable and helping you maintain good physical and mental health. Strive for seven to eight hours of sleep each night. If you’re having trouble sleeping, as many people in early recovery do, talk to your doctor or therapist.

5. Surround yourself with positive, supportive people.

The people you surround yourself with can have an important impact on your mood. Toxic relationships that make you feel bad about yourself, cause stress, or sap your energy can cause serious problems with your level of happiness, while healthy, supportive relationships bolster your mood and reduce negative feelings. Surrounding yourself with positive people leads to positive thinking in recovery.

6. Be honest.

Honesty with yourself and others is crucial for successful recovery, and it’s essential for improving your level of happiness. When you sink into denial or you’re untruthful with your support group, friends, family members, or therapist, it’s harder to feel happy and confident in recovery. Strive to be open and honest with yourself and the people in your support system.

7. Engage in therapy.

If you suffer from anxiety or depression or you just can’t seem to find happiness despite doing all the right things, therapy can help. A certified, trained therapist can help you identify harmful thought and behavior patterns that lead to unhappiness, and it can help you pinpoint sources of negative emotions. It also helps you develop skills and strategies you need for maintaining a stable mood. If you have untreated symptoms of anxiety or depression, medications that normalize brain function can be one of the most important ways to be happier in recovery.

Positive thoughts for recovering addicts are central to successful recovery. If you’re struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, or another condition that puts a damper on your level of happiness, working to address those issues can help improve your level of happiness to promote successful long-term recovery.

If you or a loved one needs help with abuse and/or treatment, please call the WhiteSands Treatment at (877) 855-3470. Our addiction specialists can assess your recovery needs and help you get the addiction treatment that provides the best chance for your long-term recovery.