During the rehab and recovery process, there are many different types of helpful therapies which can assist you toward accomplishing your goals. Although a lot of your rehab will be focused on changing habits and dealing with physical changes in your body, meditation can also be a helpful tool when it comes to changing your thought patterns. Keep reading to learn more about how meditation can help you on the road to recovery.
What Is Meditation?
Meditation is the conscious activity of quieting the mind and relaxing the body. For many of us, our bodies and minds stay in a constant state of motion and commotion. Over time this constant state of motion and thinking can add stress to our days. Meditation is giving yourself a break. Meditation is a break from doing, and a break from thinking. Although to others it might look like you are not doing much while meditating, the act of doing nothing is actually very beneficial.
The Benefits of Meditating
Meditation carries many helpful and healthful benefits. One of the most significant benefits of meditation is to train your mind to slow down. Sometimes when our minds are racing we do not give ourselves enough time to think through what we say and do. A racing mind can lead to impulsive behaviors. Research has proven that impulsive personalities are often prone to addictive behaviors.
Meditating can help an individual to literally rewire their brain. Even short meditation sessions each day can help you slow down and think more clearly later in the day. Once the mediation session is over, your brain will continue in the more relaxed patterns you established during the session. You will find that throughout the day you find yourself pausing between thinking and acting. This crucial pause between thinking and acting can dramatically affect the quality of your decision-making. This is crucial during drug rehab when you are trying to start making better choices for yourself and your health.
Another benefit of meditation is that it can drastically cut down on stress and anxiety. Anxiety is often a result of feeling out of control. Meditation sessions can help you feel that you are more in control of your thoughts and actions. Meditation can also help you to view the world around you in a more realistic light so that you can better relax and simply take life as it happens.
Meditation has also been shown to help people sleep better over time. When you are better able to organize your thoughts and emotions, you can relax more easily at night to get a better night's rest. Sleep is vitally important during the rehab/detox process.
How To Get Started
One of the easiest ways to get started with meditation is to look up online videos or an app that can take you through guided meditations. Guided meditations are a great way to learn how to quiet your mind and get into this new healthy habit. After you get comfortable with the guided meditations, you will want to try meditating on your own.
Here are more helpful resources to help you through your rehab journey.
Helpful Resources
National Institute On Drug Abuse