Staying Busy During Recovery

Staying busy during recovery is one of the most important things you can do, and if you’re wondering how, you should consider that there are many, many things out there that you might have never tried before. For instance, joining a sports team might be a good activity for you to consider when you’re working to stay busy. So, why is it so important to stay busy during your addiction recovery, and what are some of the things that you can do to help keep your mind off the source of your addiction?

Why staying busy helps

If you’re not convinced that staying busy will help you during recovery, consider this: when your mind is focused on an activity, you are less likely to battle cravings and urges. This will help you to stay focused on what you’re working on and allow you to avoid feeling like you need to use or drink. You’ll also find that the feeling of accomplishment that you enjoy is enough to keep you going on your efforts to overcome your addiction. If you’re working out or getting exercise, staying busy during recovery also helps you because it releases the feel good hormones that will keep you from flipping out and getting depressed over the need to quit your addiction.

Things you can try

You can try lots of different ways of staying busy during recovery. Any type of project, from cleaning out closets to painting, to writing, to taking a walk will help you to stay busy and active while working to overcome your addiction. Consider activities that you wouldn’t want to be drinking or using while you did them; such as exercising or anything that requires you to focus as good options for keeping yourself busy. You might also want to try new activities such as visiting historical or tourist sites in your area. Often these are not expensive, but will help you to branch out and stay focused on something other than your addiction. Spend time with friends doing something that doesn’t feel like “partying,” and you might discover that you’re having a great time and the day is gone in no time. Ultimately, staying busy is one of the best ways to help yourself overcome your addiction – and it will help you to maintain your focus without going crazy. It’s really important to find something to do that will allow you to keep your mind off overcoming your addiction and keep you from realizing that you’re struggling with it.

Medical disclaimer:

Sunshine Behavioral Health strives to help people who are facing substance abuse, addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of these conditions. It does this by providing compassionate care and evidence-based content that addresses health, treatment, and recovery.

Licensed medical professionals review material we publish on our site. The material is not a substitute for qualified medical diagnoses, treatment, or advice. It should not be used to replace the suggestions of your personal physician or other health care professionals.