Have you been looking for some awesome ways to stay busy during addiction recovery? This article covers everything from learning a new skill to decluttering your home or office. There are many ways to do this; you only need to have your heart in it.
You might not like the idea you choose once you decide upon it. Give it a chance, though. Maybe try it on for a couple of weeks so that you are sure that you are giving it a real shot. If you love one way to stay busy during addiction recovery, it could guide you even further.
Multitasking has been known to be ineffective. The reason for this is that people have trouble focusing on more than one thing at a time. You might want to choose one idea to begin with and go from there. Discover what you are truly passionate about, and live a clean life.
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Stay Busy During Addiction Recovery with Faith Practices
Here are a few ways to stay busy during addiction recovery – ideas that will involve your faith!
O Lord, if you heal me, I will be truly healed; if You save me, I will be truly saved. My praises are for You alone! – Jeremiah 17:14
Start your own ministry.
What are you passionate about? When do you get those warm fuzzies? Does it happen when you help others in a unique way? Perhaps you should embrace those feelings and start a ministry of your own. Which type of people do you empathize with the most?
That might give you a good place to start. For example, if you grew up homeless, you might feel drawn to the homeless community and want to help there. You could start a ministry where people donate items that the homeless community needs and find a way to hand them out.
Read a book or the Bible.
Maybe you have a best friend or someone else you trust who has recommended a book that sounds interesting to you. Another option is to read the Bible. You could start in Genesis (the beginning of the Bible) or John, a great book on the life of Jesus.
Strengthen your faith.
There truly are dozens of ways to strengthen your faith. Follow the example of a mentor or someone you look up to because of the strength of their faith. Ask them for advice on how to grow closer to God. Another idea is to check out social media pictures and videos.
Attend church.
The main reason that we are encouraged to go to church is that it is where we can worship and praise God together. The fellowship is also a great way to spend time with other believers and meet like-minded individuals who have similar struggles and encouragement.
Make a place for your spiritual armor.
Today, I was reading about a war box. Due to the popularity of the movie The War Room, many people have started a war room, or, as some call it, a prayer closet. The main point is to find a place where you can fight your prayer battles and spill your heart out to God.
When suffering and trials fall into your lap, the most important thing you can do is to pray. Using a prayer closet or war room, you can spend time alone, letting the Lord know what hurts. This also allows Him to speak to you, offering hope, encouragement, and wisdom.
Stay Busy During Addiction Recovery Through Self-Improvement
We all want to improve upon the person we are. For example, when we go through addiction recovery, sometimes, we don’t know who we used to be. Try one of these ideas on for size!
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. – 2 Timothy 1:7
Write something new.
Start a blog. Trust me; writing weekly, daily, or even monthly blog posts or articles can keep a person very occupied. Write a book and publish it on Amazon. It will take you a lot of time to write your book, and learning how to publish on Amazon or on another platform is hard.
Study.
Study your Bible. Study for your job. Consider challenging yourself by saying, “I will read this employee manual to better understand how to do my job more effectively.” Maybe make yourself a goal to read every book you own. How could studying not keep you busy?
Learn a new skill.
Embrace a musical instrument. You could become a skilled musician and play at your church, community center, or at a nursing home. Learn a new language. There are applications you can download on your phone to help you slowly get to know a language that is unfamiliar.
Additionally, there are online classes that will teach you a new skill. Play a game that teaches you how to become a master. For example, trivia and chess can improve your intelligence, especially the next time you play one of the games with your group of friends.
Use your creative outlets.
Do you love to draw or do art of some kind? You could make lovely items that can be given away to the less fortunate, sold to your neighbors, or purchased online. Have you tried learning a new craft – knitting, sewing, or baking fancy cakes? Embrace your crafty side!
Take a class.
Many colleges or universities, especially community colleges and community centers, offer certain classes for free. If this is something that interests you, consider contacting a college near you and taking a class! Some colleges even offer students free online courses to help out.
Stay Busy During Addiction Recovery & Help Yourself
These ideas are great at helping you stay busy during addiction recovery, because each of these suggestions is also a way to help yourself!
Then Jesus said, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you. Let Me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. – Matthew 11:28-29
Declutter your home.
Many people find that there are areas within their home that have never been completely decluttered. Along with decluttering comes cleaning. So, there may be areas that have never had a deep clean or a good decluttering. This can lead to frustration.
Volunteer.
When I first finished the 12 steps of recovery, I was going stir-crazy. I needed something to keep me busy. Upon a recommendation, I decided to start writing letters to soldiers overseas who did not have family or friends writing them. Basically, they got nothing during their mail call.
I found that to be especially sad, and I wanted to reach out, giving them some encouraging words, inspiring quotes, and uplifting Bible verses. Once this passion developed within me, I discovered that there were many organizations that would help me write these soldiers.
Times have changed. Some of these organizations now charge for a soldier’s address or require a donation of some kind to participate with them. To me, this is sad, too, but there are still ways to help those who are serving our country and are lonely.
There are many other ways to volunteer. Look for the right opportunity for you. Find something that you can commit to – something that will help you develop a new passion. This is the key to staying busy during addiction recovery.
Adopt a pet.
According to Founders Green Animal Hospital, adopting a pet can reduce loneliness and improve your mental health. When you are struggling to fill the emptiness with the addiction of choice, a new pet from an animal shelter or hospital could be your best investment.
I will admit that I am biased on this one, as we have four little kittens from animal shelters. We also try to volunteer at animal hospitals when we have a chance. It is a very rewarding experience and helps us stay mentally and emotionally healthy.
Sharing your love with those animals who have never received real love will make you feel warm fuzzies like never before. You might spend so much time spoiling your pet that you forget about the addiction triggers that come your way!
Stay Busy During Addiction Recovery Socially
It can be difficult to meet new people. Consider one of these ways to stay busy during addiction recovery, ways that will help you socially.
Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. – 1 Peter 5:8
Help others.
Helping others is a rewarding way to stay busy during addiction recovery. It’s also a wonderful way to meet others. Think about the times you have been in need. Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone reach out and help you? You could easily make friends who become like family!
Attend support groups.
Don’t be fooled. You can go to any support group. If you have an issue with alcohol, go to Celebrate Recovery meetings or even an NA meeting (Narcotics Anonymous). They will welcome you. If your schedule does not allow you to attend the meeting you want, try another!
Spend time with supportive loved ones.
If you have friends or family members who support your sobriety, spend time with them. Thank them for the love and encouragement they have provided over the past few weeks or months (or even years). This will motivate them to continue supporting you.
Also, if you feel weak, like you might slip into your addictive way, there are no better people to be around than those who do not participate in your addiction. They can help you with reasons you should not slip and fall into temptation. Be honest with them about what you are feeling.
Conclusion
Thinking of new ways to stay busy during addiction recovery can be quite enlightening. Will you try one of these ways, or can you come up with one of your own that you are excited to try? Either way, we hope you find a solution to those not-so-busy moments!
I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. – Psalm 63:4
