7 Daily Practices for Addiction Relapse Prevention

These daily practices for addiction relapse prevention can help you enjoy successful recovery for the long-haul.

Treatment is a time of immense personal growth and enlightenment, and it arms you with the skills and strategies you need to recover from even a severe drug or alcohol addiction. Once treatment is complete, a drug addiction relapse prevention plan will be put into place. This plan will likely include ongoing counseling, participation in a support group, and other programming based on your unique needs and issues. In addition to following the drug addiction relapse prevention plan, engaging in these seven daily practices for addiction relapse prevention will go a long way toward helping you stay sober in the early stages of addiction recovery.

1. Get active.

Good overall health is a boon to successful recovery. When you feel strong and healthy, you’re more likely to make healthy lifestyle choices. Daily exercise is one of the most important daily practices for addiction relapse prevention. Exercise not only improves your overall health, but it also reduces depression and anxiety. Physical activity is also a potent stress reducer and even helps your body learn to respond better to stressors in the future.

2. Stay mindful.

Mindfulness is central to success in the early stages of addiction recovery. Mindfulness is the practice of being in the present and acutely aware of what you’re thinking and feeling at any given time. Addiction can rob us of our self-awareness, but practicing mindfulness brings us into full awareness of ourselves in the moment. Being mindful helps you address negative emotions, uncomfortable physical sensations, and dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors before they lead to a slip-up or relapse.

3. Meditate.

One of the best ways to practice mindfulness is to meditate. Meditation helps train your brain to stay mindful and self-aware. But its benefits don’t stop there. Meditation is also a powerful way to reduce stress and help improve the way external events affect you in your daily life moving forward. Meditation is also effective for reducing anxiety and depression and promoting positive emotions.

4. Practice self-care.

Addiction leads to a devastating lack of self-care. For successful recovery, self-neglect must become a thing of the past, and taking good care of yourself must become one of the fundamental daily practices for addiction relapse prevention. Good self-care means eating healthy food, exercising each day, getting plenty of sleep, and setting boundaries for yourself. It means treating yourself with gentleness and compassion, engaging in activities that promote positive emotions, and surrounding yourself with people who are supportive of your recovery journey.

5. Relax and enjoy yourself.

If you aren’t having fun in recovery, you’re more likely to relapse. Finding ways to relax and enjoy yourself promotes long-term recovery, because you won’t feel like you need drugs or alcohol to have a good time. Engage in activities each day that promote fun and relaxation. Find healthy hobbies that help fill the time with enjoyment and foster healthy relationships with others.

6. Express gratitude.

When you’re experiencing negative emotions like anger, frustration, or sadness, expressing gratitude can help you turn it around. Gratitude is thankfulness for the things you have. Taking a good look at your life and acknowledging the positive things in it is powerful medicine for bad feelings. Think about the people in your life, the positive aspects of your day, the things you have, the experiences you enjoy, and the opportunities that come your way. Express gratitude for these things to your higher power, the universe, your journal, or someone you love.

7. Try something new.

Sometimes, it’s the little things that reveal the joys of being alive and sober enough to experience life fully. Every day, strive to try something new that makes you happy to be alive. Maybe it’s trying a new restaurant or listening to a new band. Maybe it’s wandering through a store or museum you’ve never been in or exploring a new part of town. Trying new things helps you learn to cope with the stress of the unfamiliar, and it promotes feelings of excitement, spontaneity, and enjoyment.

These daily practices for addiction relapse prevention in the early stages of addiction recovery will go a long way toward sustaining long-term recovery, and they will improve your quality of life and help make sobriety a positive experience worth celebrating.

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.