Self-Care and It’s Importance in Recovery

What is Self-Care?

Self-care is one of the most important aspects of life—every living thing requires some form of self-care, and people are no exception.

During addiction, many people become accustomed to ignoring basic human needs. Looking for and using more drugs or alcohol takes up so much time and energy that there is nothing left to care for yourself.

Self-care is simply the maintenance of self and ensuring you’re taken care of so you can do what you need. Self-care has several components, including caring for yourself physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and socially.

For example, going for a jog, getting enough sleep, and making time for friends are all ways to promote positive self-care.

Of course, some self-care tasks are more complicated than others; however, things will start to fall into place with time and practice.

Why is Self-Care Important?

If we don’t take care of ourselves, no one will; we are responsible for our well-being. Therefore, we must learn healthy self-care techniques to obtain or maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Overworking is a common problem today. Many people have relationship and health problems related to too much work and too few healthy habits.

If you don’t take time for yourself, you can quickly become over-stressed, exhausted, disillusioned, and disinterested in life.

Have you ever had a friend who needed a favor or to talk through something, but you were too busy or tired to help? Unfortunately, it happens all the time. Sadly, when we don’t care for ourselves, we have nothing to give others who may need our help.

For those in recovery, self-care is essential. Being worn down, isolated from a busy schedule, or continuing unhealthy habits can all decrease your quality of life.

When your quality of life is down and you’re exhausted and stressed, the probability of relapse increases exponentially.

Types of Self-Care

There are several types of self-care; each is as important as the others and has its requirements.

Physical Self-Care

Physical self-care means you eat well, get enough sleep and eat a balanced diet, though, in today’s hectic lifestyle, these can be difficult.

Nevertheless, if you generally check in with your body and give it what it needs, you should be alright. However, suppose you notice that you feel overly stressed or tired. In that case, you may need to revisit your physical needs and adjust your schedule.

Emotional Self-Care

Emotional self-care means you are true to yourself. Emotions are not things you can control, but you can healthily manage them with time and effort.

Expressing your emotions is key to your overall emotional health. Creative outlets can help to relax and process emotions effectively and healthily; plus, they can mean essential time for self.

Keep a journal, set boundaries, speak up when something is bothering you, and don’t be afraid to walk away if things become overwhelming.

Spiritual Self-Care

Spiritual self-care can be one of the more complex areas of life to cultivate and learn. Yet, unfortunately, most people in early recovery are disconnected from spirituality.

A spiritual connection must be created, accessed, and maintained for it to benefit us daily. Meditation and prayer are two great ways to maintain a spiritual relationship.

Mental Self-Care

Mental self-care is just as important as all others. Remember: you are not a machine. As a human being, you need stimulus and relaxation.

So often, people try to work too hard in some areas of their life when they enter recovery to make up for the past. Remember that you deserve kindness, and don’t be afraid to take time to relax.