Hobbies and Activities for Recovering Addicts

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Recovering from a substance use disorder is no small feat, so congratulations to you for seeking substance use treatment and for taking your recovery seriously. Signing into an addiction treatment facility means that you understand your compulsions and you no longer want to be enslaved by them.

Alcohol addiction and illicit drug use can rob you of the activities that once excited you. Worse still, substance addiction can also limit your worldview and make it seem like your drug of choice is the only way through which you can experience the beauty of being alive.

After you’ve done the work of checking yourself into a Phoenix rehab center, for instance, and actively participated in the therapy treatments—addiction treatment, counseling, occupational therapy—what comes next? How do you sustain your recovery and minimize your chances of relapse? Here are some activities you can take up and hobbies you can explore to help with your recovery.

Gardening

Besides being a great way to help us feel more connected to the earth, gardening can also be a very rewarding hobby. If you’ve never kept a plant before and worry that you may not have a green thumb, your local plant store or urban greenhouse can help.

An urban greenhouse is a great place to get your new plants from because it’ll help you identify the easiest plants to care for as you embark on your gardening journey. Besides this, they’ll also help you identify the best indoor house plants—if you’re looking to start small—and plants that thrive best in an outdoor space.

Besides being a great way to build self-confidence, gardening also offers a great distraction from the cravings and triggers that can make you susceptible to relapse.

Cooking

As a person living with a substance use disorder, it may have been difficult to maintain a healthy diet, especially while under the influence. Poor eating habits can affect your quality of life and, in turn, compromise your health. Nutrition and self-care are a big part of recovery, and cooking can help with this.

If you can’t cook, don’t let that keep you from getting into the kitchen. Online resources like YouTube tutorials can help you learn a skill or two. Enrolling in a local cooking class or reaching out to a culinary-inclined friend for lessons can also help.

Yoga

Yoga can help you get in touch with your body. Besides offering a great way to help you safely connect with your body, yoga can also be very beneficial in facilitating the healing of past trauma. As we mentioned earlier, self-care is an important part of your recovery journey. When used as a spiritual self-care practice, yoga can help you feel connected to your emotions. As a person in recovery, this creates not only a firmer sense of self but also the start of an active lifestyle.

Learn a Skill

Thankfully, the internet has made it possible for us to access resources that can help us learn new skills, earn degrees, and meet new people. Is there a craft you’ve always wanted to learn? Say, crochet? Find an online class and learn. Have you always wanted to play an instrument? Look up free music lessons online. There’s so much available at your fingertips if you’d only look.

One of the best things about recovery is that it allows you the time to discover yourself. These hobbies will allow you to find new pastimes that give you a sense of meaning and purpose. Recovery isn’t easy, but you can do it. All the best to you, and congratulations on making it this far!

Rachel Crib
Rachel Crib
Rachel has lived in Lancaster her whole life. Trish has worked as a journalist for nearly a decade having contributed to several large publications including the Yahoo News and the Lancaster Post. As a journalist for The Tiger News, Cristina covers national and international developments.

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