Recovering from our addictions and mental health issues is more than just abstaining from the addictions that once ran our lives. It’s also about recreating our lives, creating lives that give us meaning and purpose, lives we are happy to live. Very often when we are in recovery, we are consumed with the serious, albeit important, elements of recovery such as making sure we are being consistent with our program. Many of us don’t make time for enjoying ourselves, for relaxing and having fun. We don’t give ourselves a break from the stress and pressure of our daily lives. Many of us are filled with anxiety on a regular basis. This can be detrimental to our mental, emotional and physical health, and when we are imbalanced and unwell in any area of our lives, we are more likely to turn to our addictions to try to cope.

When we have fun to look forward to in recovery, we are more likely to stay the course and keep up with our program. We’re significantly less stressed, making it easier for us to cope with our daily lives. Less stress can mean we feel less driven to want to use to try to escape that stress. When we are more relaxed, we can find it easier and less overwhelming to go to meetings, attend therapy and handle our other responsibilities at the same time. When we are able to spend time doing things we enjoy and that make us happy, chances are we will feel less tempted to use.

Having fun is a great way of celebrating life. Anything enjoyable we do can be our celebration of being sober. When we have things to look forward to, that can make us naturally want to prioritize our enjoyment over the unhappiness that comes with self-destructiveness. We learn that there are healthy ways to feel good and be happy, that don’t have the aftereffects that came with addiction, the destruction, sadness and regret.

When we spend time having fun with the people we care about, it can be an amazing way of reconnecting with loved ones and rebuilding relationships that may have been broken, damaged or estranged by our addictions. It can help us take the pressure off of repairing the damage our relationships have sustained. It can help lift our spirits and bring us back together. Doing the things we enjoy also reconnects us with our true selves, helping us to rediscover all the things we once loved about ourselves and our lives.

Call 888-570-7154 for information on our treatment programs.