If you wish to maintain your sobriety, then practice mindfulness, advises one of the rehab specialists in Ohio. Drugs or alcohol keep you in illusions, taking you far away from reality. Being mindful means being in the real situation, taking in each moment as it comes.
The more you are in the moment, the better you observe your feelings and thoughts. You avoid getting carried away by them. This can complement your sobriety and give you more power to crush those cravings and temptations.
However, practicing mindfulness is easier said than done, especially for people who have often lived life on impulses. Yet, if you are spending time in one of the halfway houses in Ohio, you have a golden opportunity to practice mindfulness.
Meeting your inner self
One of the features of the house is the therapy programs that give recovering addicts a chance to express themselves fully. To do this, you must feel deeply. You must “meet” your inner self to dig out those buried emotions, which may have played a role in urging you to drink or do drugs.
Once you learn to be mindful of every emotion or thought, you would automatically be mindful of your actions.
Here are 4 ways you can be mindful while being sober in the house:
1. Meditate:
Mindfulness meditation is one of the easiest to do. Moreover, with the house having a set routine, you can spare a few minutes of your time daily to sit and relax, letting the thoughts come and go. You observe your mind wander off. You then gently make it come back to the present moment. This trains your mind. You become the master of it. This skill goes a long way in keeping you sober and successful in life.
2. Keep a journal:
Many halfway houses make inmates do journaling as a part of therapy sessions. This helps to express your emotions. It de-clutters your mind and gives it clarity. You can vent out your frustrations, anger, resentments, and other negative emotions in the journal. It is more of a mind cleansing ritual.
3. Attend meetings/discussions:
When you are in a meeting or group discussion, you ought to be in the moment for active participation. Your mind may wander off to your addiction days, but you learn to immediately bring your mind back to the present. You are aware of your thoughts. You become the observer.
It helps to attend meetings and group therapies regularly while in the house. This keeps you motivated and saves you from the frustration that comes when you start to live sober. Listening to others’ stories becomes a source of inspiration.
4. Pursue hobbies:
Most houses encourage inmates to pursue their hobbies. This helps you discover your true self. When you do something of interest, you are 100 percent at the moment.
So, if you wish to extract more out of the routine and halfway house rules, work more on yourselves during this time. This is a great way to make the most of the opportunity to live sober.
