5 Lifestyle Changes that Will Help Beat Your Addiction
By Lauren Turinetti | April 17, 2018
The trouble with addictions is their ability to invade all elements of your lifestyle. When a person is addicted to a behavior, substance, or action, it becomes interwoven into every facet of life itself. When a person decides that their addiction is unwanted, it is not simply a matter of choosing to give that addiction up.
Nature abhors a vacuum! This is central to kicking an addiction’s grasp on your life. To part ways with an addiction, abstinence is not the only needed step. An addiction occupies a significant portion of your mind, body, and soul. If the addiction is dropped, something else must take its place.
Replacing Addiction-Promoting Actions
Many things are substantial and satisfying enough to take the place of an addiction. Whenever the thought of taking part in continuing an unwanted behavior arises, try these activities instead. It is important to identify what your triggers are. According to Recovery Resource Group, you aren’t going to beat your addiction until you know what causes it. Have the courage to believe that changed behaviors can replace your dependency on whatever you are addicted to.
Positive Social Interaction
Seek opportunities to spend time in social situations that do not require the use of addictive substances. Most likely, these are family gatherings and meetings with friends. This also entails a separation from friends who normally encourage an addiction. Attend school productions, classes at a community center, or study groups. It is even better when these activities take place during the times of day and night when addictive urges arise.
Spiritual Exploration
Many people use substance abuse to counter an empty soul space that would otherwise be occupied by growing spiritually. Along with a sobriety plan, introduce regular meditation, spiritual worship, or mindfulness exercises. Here, many cognitive ideas are shared that will help you realize that substance dependency can be overcome with various forms of human fellowship.
Exercise
The pull of addiction is largely physical. When a person feels the need to follow an addiction, the need can be met with physical exertion. Join a gym and trade party partners for personal trainers. Getting involved in CrossFit communities is a great way to help your body recover from addiction, and to meet other people with similar goals. CrossFit is easily customizable to your fitness level, and it promotes social interaction that can help you resist the pull of addiction.
A Total Reinvention
While you work to overcome an addiction, it is important to realize that the life you have created is also perceivable by others. Take a chance, and reinvent yourself. Buy the clothes you’ve always wanted to wear. Shop at grocery stores during unusual times. Wear a smile if you are accustomed to looking down. Step out of your ordinary box. Radical shifts in controllable behavior are powerful when gaining an advantage over other behaviors that seem impossible to overcome. Shifting into a new personal paradigm is probably the most useful tool for conquering an addiction permanently.
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