The Benefits Of A Beginner’s Mind As A Recovering Addict

One of the important mindfulness attitudes that Jon Kabat-Zinn speaks about is the Beginner’s Mind. As a recovering addict, having a beginner’s mind can transform your experience of life outside of rehab.

Our minds have a remarkable ability to build up huge stores of information that we don’t have to consciously access. Without this ability, we would not be able to interact with the world around us. Think about what would happen if you had to actively think about how to swallow every time you ate. You would choke if you ever let your attention wander.

However, clinging to everything we know can also stop us from experiencing life in the present. We see people and situations in the light of how we have experienced them in the past. Instead of living in the present, we play out old scenarios.

As a recovering addict, this can be necessary. We have to know how to avoid triggers and which people might compromise us. But in the same vein, we need to be open to newness if we are to live a life untainted by what has happened to us in the past.

How to access your beginner’s mind

The attitude of beginner’s mind asks you to experience each moment as if for the first time. And, in fact, you are! While you may have interacted with the same people, places and things in the past, you have never lived this moment.

With the attitude of beginner’s mind, you don’t have to forget everything you know. That is impossible and obviously undesirable. However, in environments of which you have no reason to be particularly wary, you can let go of it.

Try and open your eyes to this very moment. Thoughts and feelings will arise. Note them and let them go. Notice any assumptions and judgments you make and let them go. You may feel the urge to accumulate new insights or “make use” of the moment. Try and let that go too. Anything this moment can teach you will still be there in the next.

Beginner’s mind is an incredibly important attitude for recovering addicts, as we tend to see the world outside rehab as a difficult place, with hardship, triggers, and temptations. Opening ourselves up and experiencing this moment for the first time is a big step towards living in a world you can begin to love.

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3 Types Of Breathing To Ground Yourself When In Distress

When you are in alcohol and drug rehab, you learn the importance of breathing. Breathing is something we all do automatically, but when done with intention, it can be used to manage your feelings and cravings.

Breathing has a number of purposes when you are in distress. At its simplest, it is a way of focusing your mind on something fundamental to life. By doing this, you can divert your attention away from distressing thoughts or panic.

But it is not just an exercise in attention. Breathing can ground you, bringing awareness to what is going on in your body without getting swept up in it.

While breathing can be a complex exercise of self-discovery, you can begin with some simple types of breathing just to ground yourself when in distress.

1. Square breathing

Square breathing is an incredibly simple but effective way of grounding yourself. The key with all these exercises is that you do not need to shut your mind off. That is probably not going to help, as the sense of distress will not let up that easily. Simply focusing on a type of breathing gives you an alternative route out of distress.

With square breathing you do the following:

• inhale for a count of 5
• hold for a count of 5
• exhale for a count of 5
• hold for a count of 5
• start again

You can choose to count a different number if you prefer. The key is that you are breathing fully and focusing on keeping it consistent.

2. Diaphragmatic breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing is a type of breathing that changes the source of your breathing. Instead of pulling air in with your nose or mouth, you raise your diaphragm (or abdomen). To exhale, you simply contract your diaphragm again.

Diaphragmatic breathing is useful because it helps you reframe your breath as a function of your body, rather than staying in your head and chest. It also gives the body more power, which is why it is used by singers and in yoga practice.

With a sense of power in your body, you are better able to manage the distressing emotions and feel grounded in yourself.

3. 4-7-8 breathing

4-7-8 breathing is a popular method of breathing that helps with relaxation. It is as simple as it sounds:

• inhale for a count of 4
• hold for a count of 7
• exhale for a count of 8
• start again

Always inhale through your nose. You can exhale through your nose or mouth, depending on what feels more relaxing for you.

Breath work in rehab can be an effective means of self-exploration. But on a simpler level, you can use it as an effective means of calming and grounding yourself when you feel in distress.

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What To Look For In A Sponsor After Alcohol And Drug Rehab

When leaving alcohol and drug rehab, you will be tasked with the responsibility of finding a sponsor. A sponsor will help you maintain your sobriety as you adapt to living in the outside world. To deal effectively with the challenges at hand, it is important to have someone who you can reach out to when you feel like you cannot do it yourself.

But what should you look for in a sponsor after alcohol and drug rehab. This is a person you are entrusting with an incredibly important task. You need to know that they will be the right person when crisis hits.

Everyone needs a sponsor who they can relate to and will click with different types of people. However, a good sponsor generally has the following traits.

They are eager to help

Pop culture has popularized the idea of the reluctant mentor, and this extends into depictions of sponsors on TV and in movies. However, in real life, a sponsor should be someone who wants to be involved in your journey. They should be eager to help, rather than doing so out of a sense of duty or because they have been told to.

This is not necessarily because they will do a better job when push comes to shove, but is more to do with you. You need to feel comfortable calling on them in a crisis, and you will find that hard to do if they don’t seem to want to be involved. You should have a sponsor who you know will be happy to hear from you and eager, even if you need them at a less-than-ideal hour.

They have diverse experiences

Some people want a sponsor who has a similar context to them, whether this is someone of the same gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, and so on. However, what every sponsor should have in common is a diversity of experience.

No matter how similar your context, you will go through experiences that are unique. You will struggle with thoughts and feelings that are entirely personal. A good sponsor has enough diversity within their own experiences that they can adapt to be there for you no matter what you are going through, even if it is a situation that is entirely your own.

Stability

Having had a certain amount of sober time is important for a sponsor. However, stability is perhaps even more important. Someone may have managed to stay sober for years while always feeling on the verge of relapse. On the other hand, another person may not have been sober as long but have a very strong foundation for their recovery.

This does not mean your sponsor is never going to relapse. That is a possibility for anyone who has battled drug and alcohol addiction. But a good sponsor tends to be confident in their ability to stay clean, as well as their ability to recover even if they do relapse.

No sponsor is going to be perfect, and that is not really what you want from someone you need to be able to relate to. However, that does not mean just anyone can be your sponsor. They are taking on a lot of responsibility, and you need to know you can trust them to be there for you.

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