Clean and Serene: 5 Habits for a Healthier Lifestyle

Health can be a positive and uplifting thing to focus on and living a healthy lifestyle does not have to be difficult to accomplish. Sometimes people lose sight of their health and get into harmful behaviors without realizing the toll that it takes on their mind and their body. A healthy lifestyle can transform your life and make you feel happier and more stable while also preventing many illnesses.

These are some important habits to focus on if you want to live a healthier lifestyle

1. Avoid cigarettes, alcohol and drugs

Most people intuitively know that these substances are harmful to their health. Cigarettes, alcohol and other drugs contain toxins that harm the body and also affect mental health. And worst of all these substances are addictive and can cause numerous problems in your personal life.

If you are interested in living a healthier lifestyle the first step would be to quit or dramatically minimize the use of toxic and addictive substances. Quitting can be challenging but ultimately you will feel better mentally and physically without them. You can’t live a clean and healthy life with these substances in your body.

2. Focus on Nutrition

What you eat can be a major factor in your overall health because foods can either be harmful or healing. When you think about the food you eat, it can be helpful to focus on foods that are going to provide you with the nutrients you need. Food is fuel and you need plenty of vitamins, fiber, carbohydrates and protein for your body to operate at its best.

The foods that provide the most nutrients that your body needs are fruits and vegetables, lean protein, whole grains, legumes and healthy plant-based fats. Avoid any foods that are high in sugar or saturated fat because these can be damaging to your body. Although it can be difficult to eat perfectly all the time, making sure you get the nutrients your body needs can help you improve your health.

3. Stay as Active as Possible

Many people live sedentary lifestyles because of their job or a busy schedule but our bodies need to be active in order to be healthy. Sitting most of the day can wreak havoc on your health so try to schedule as much activity as possible into your routine. This could be as simply as going for a walk or biking to work so that you get some exercise in.

Ideally you will want to incorporate some cardio, strengthening and flexibility exercises into your schedule to maintain optimal health. Things like jogging, yoga, hiking, swimming and biking are all great exercises that can keep you healthy. Try to find an activity that you really enjoy so that exercising feels less like a chore and something you can actually look forward to.

4. Reduce Stress and Get Plenty of Sleep

Many people don’t realize the impact that stress can have on both our physical and mental health. Taking some time out of the day to practice a stress reduction technique such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing or mindfulness can have a very positive impact on your health. Stress can build up every day so make sure to find ways to reduce stress that seem to work for you.

Minimizing stress can also help improve your sleep which is another important aspect of your health. Many people are cutting back on sleep in order to get more done during the day but this can catch up with you eventually and lead to major health issues. Make sure to get at least eight hours of sleep every night and maintain a regular sleeping schedule that doesn’t change too dramatically.

5. Maintain Relationships

One aspect of health that people often forget is that we need close relationships in order to feel grounded, peaceful and centered. Maintaining and strengthening your relationships is one of the most important aspects of good mental health. Make sure to stay connected with close friends, relatives, your partner and your coworkers so that you don’t feel isolated and stressed out.

Talking to friends, laughing with them and sharing your personal feelings can relieve a lot of tension and prevent the kind of negative emotions that can affect your health. If there is any conflict in your relationships, try to find a way to resolve those issues so that you experience more harmony in your life. Having a support system of people around you can help reinforce your healthy habits and make it easier to stay positive.

Although living a healthier lifestyle can seem like a big change for some people, taking it one step at a time can make it more manageable. Focus on one aspect of your health at a time so that you can achieve your goals and keep expanding your healthy habits.

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Getting Up and Trying Again: How to Get Back on the Road to Sobriety

In a perfect world, everyone who tried to quit an addiction would never slip back into their old habits. However, addiction is a disease that can stay with a person the rest of their life even if they think they have beaten it. Relapse is a reality that many people have to deal with but it doesn’t mean that sobriety isn’t possible for them.

If you have tried to quit in the past but started to get involved in substance abuse again then you are probably dealing with a lot of different emotions. People who relapse often feel ashamed, disappointed in themselves and less hopeful that they can ever be permanently sober. These feelings are normal and you can work through them as you start the process of getting back on track.

The important thing to remember is that even though you may have faltered it doesn’t mean that you can’t live a sober life in the future. It also doesn’t mean that you should learn to drink or use drugs moderately instead of being completely sober. The only thing you can do is start over again and get back into the routine of support groups, sober living and treatment if necessary.

Going Back to Meetings

It your choice whether you feel you want to enter a treatment center again or simply start going back to twelve step meetings. In most cases, it depends on the severity and length of the relapse. If you have been drinking or using drugs again for several years then attending treatment again might be a good option to start over with recovery.

For those that feel their relapse did not lead them to completely revert back to their old lifestyle, going to meetings every day, talking to loved ones and attending therapy sessions can be helpful in getting back on track. It is crucial to be completely honest with everyone about your relapse and avoiding hiding details that you might be ashamed about. If you are candid about the situation you have more opportunity to learn from the experience and get useful advice from others.

As you attend meetings daily make sure to talk with people who are on the right track with their sobriety and use them as an example. You can always ask what habits they use to stay sober and what they do when they are struggling with temptation. Although your relapse may feel like a failure, it is actually a chance to learn more about strategies for being sober and expand your knowledge.

While you are learning about sobriety from others think about what aspects of your habits contributed to you relapsing. What mistakes did you make in the past? Did you fail to set up an adequate support system or not make use of a sponsor?

Don’t dwell on the mistakes you made in the past but choose to learn from them so that you don’t repeat them in the future. Understanding what caused you to relapse and really analyzing what happened can help prevent it from happening again. Take the chance to really study what your triggers are and develop some new and better strategies for dealing with them.

Forgiving Yourself and Moving Forward

After you take the time to understand why you relapsed and what you need to change in the future you can work on forgiving yourself for what happened. People often feel a deep sense of shame and failure that can stay with them for some time after they relapsed. You should know that relapse is just something that happens to many people on the road to recovery even if they put in their best effort to be sober.

Recovery is simply a learning process and there are bound to be missteps and mistakes as you learn how to adapt to life as a sober person. Don’t beat yourself up about relapsing and accept that you are a human being and therefore are imperfect like everyone else. Have compassion on yourself and the situation you are in so that you don’t bring yourself down with negative feelings.

The positive thing about moving forward after a relapse is that you already have at least some experience being sober. You already understand the basic routine and simply need to make some adjustments so that you can maintain your sobriety. Try to simplify your life again and focus on the foundations of sobriety that you learned while you were in rehab.

Even though relapse can be a learning experience it is important not to dwell too much on the past and just try to move forward as much as possible. Think about the future and what you want to accomplish as a sober person. Make sure to surround yourself with support and focus on your daily goals so that you can keep moving forward on the road to sobriety.

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source https://www.serenitymaliburehab.com/getting-trying-get-back-road-sobriety/

5 Ways to Support Your Friend in Recovery

People in recovery need an extensive support network of friends, mentors, peers and family members to keep them on track with their sobriety. If your friend is entering rehab or has recently completed treatment then they will need lots of compassion and understanding throughout the process of learning to live sober. It can be confusing for friends who don’t know what to do or how to handle their friend’s recovery.

Here are 5 ways that you can be supportive of someone who has recently become sober:

1. Be Accepting and Avoid Judgement

If you have never had an addiction yourself then you might not fully understand all the shame, guilt and pain that this person is going through. If they make mistakes or are struggling in the beginning, try your best to reserve any judgement. They might be extra sensitive to criticism or negativity so make sure that you are positive and uplifting as much as possible.

The important thing is to show them that you accept their decision to quit and don’t judge     their past issues with addiction. People in recovery don’t want to feel alienated or different from you and your group of friends. If you express love and understanding for their situation then they will feel much more comfortable in their sobriety.

2. Be a Good Listener

People in recovery are going through a lot of ups and downs and need someone there to talk to. If you can be a friend that they can rely on to call when they are going through a tough time then it will be a big help to them. Just listening to their problems and offering a sympathetic ear is a great way to stay supportive.

As they are learning how to handle their sobriety it can be helpful to make yourself as available as possible. Having someone available to help them can be a major factor in preventing relapse. As long as you actively listen, avoid judgement and let them work through their issues you can be a great friend to them.

3. Encourage Healthy Habits and Create a Sober Environment

If you yourself still drink or occasionally use drugs, try not to discuss these things or have bottles and paraphernalia around when they are in your home. Never bring your friend to a bar or a party that involves a lot of drinking. Although eventually they will be able to handle being in those environments, it is best for them to be in a substance-free environment in the early stages of recovery.

Make sure to encourage your friend to maintain their healthy habits by eating healthy meals with them or cooking together. You can go to the gym together, play sports or do something active that will keep their mind off of their problems. Think of fun activities you can do together that don’t involve alcohol and can help you stay connected and healthy.

4. Join a Support Group

It is likely that your friend is attending regular support group meetings where they can interact with other addicts and talk about their issues. There are also support groups that cater to the friends and loved ones of people in recovery so that they can talk to others and learn more about how to handle the situation. Support groups are a way to connect with others experiencing similar problems and gain helpful knowledge and advice so that you are better equipped to help your loved one.

There may be aspects of having a friend in recovery that can be stressful or difficult to deal with because it takes an emotional toll on you. Going to a support group gives you an opportunity to talk about these difficulties to people that understand and are going through many of the same feelings. You can meet other people and make friends that can help you with your role as the supporter of the addict.

5. Educate Yourself about Relapse Warning Signs

Even when friends and loved ones do everything they can to help someone in recovery, the reality is that addiction is a complicated disease. Relapse is a possibility that you must be prepared for in case you need to be available to help your friend. The more you learn about relapse the more you will be able to be of service to them if they should reach a point of crisis.

Make sure that you are familiar with all the warning signs associated with a relapse or an imminent relapse. You should also learn what actions you need to take in order to minimize the damage and get them back on track. Relapse can be devastating but it does not mean that they have to give up on being sober.

As you help your friend with their recovery, keep in mind that being supportive of their efforts and just being there for them can be the most beneficial way to help them stay sober.

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