Have you wanted to improve your wellness and spirituality in the addiction recovery process? Do you want to get in tune with your inner soul and self? Are you longing for a deeper meaning in your life? Are you excited about self-improvement?
I can’t say that this article will provide you with all the solutions you might be looking for regarding wellness and spirituality in recovery, but there are 35 ways to improve those aspects of the addiction recovery process. The key is to stick with it.
Gaining better wellness and spirituality will not only help you in the recovery process, but it will also help your life in general. Imagine having a deeper meaning and purpose. What would that look like for you? Would it motivate you and excite you to get up in the morning?
Let’s explore these ideas!
“I approach sobriety with the same mentality I approached sports with. You’re going to put in the time. You’ve got to suit up, show up, and keep your eyes on the win.” ~ Molly Bloom
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How to Gain Better Wellness and Spirituality in the Addiction Recovery Process
Use the following ideas to immerse yourself in better wellness and spirituality.
#1. Improve your self-awareness.
Self-awareness is when a person has a solid understanding of what they think, how they feel, what they believe, what they value the most, and why they do the things that they do.
If you understand who you are, what you want in life, how you feel in different circumstances, and why you do the things that you decide to do, you have a solid sense of self-awareness.
If you do not understand those things well, you can work on the amount of self-awareness you have to better improve things during your recovery.
Some of the key components you can embrace to gain better wellness in the recovery process are to embrace mindfulness, gain a better sense of self-compassion, journal or reflect on your experiences in life, and gather feedback from trusted sources about how you are doing.
Many of the components listed above will be discussed in this article, but understanding and researching them alone can be beneficial to your health.
“I chose sober because I wanted a better life. I stay sober because I got one.” ~ Anonymous
#2. Avoid isolation.
Isolation is a surefire way to return to your addiction of choice. When we aren’t around encouraging people who support our recovery goals, we slip up. We need encouragement in life, and we don’t need to try to “figure it all out alone.” Find a great accountability partner.
#3. Spend time in nature.
Nature can be soothing and relaxing. You can see all that God made for us. It will humble you if you truly embrace it. Take time each day to spend a moment in nature.
#4. Get involved in a 12-step program.
If you are not regularly going to 12-step meetings, it is time to start! Transform your life by attending and getting involved in a 12-step program, like Celebrate Recovery. Once there, consider joining a Celebrate Recovery Step Study – the place where you really dive deep.
#5. Make sure you get adequate sleep.
The Mayo Clinic recommends that adults get at least 7 hours of sleep. If you struggle to sleep due to insomnia or other factors in your life, consider speaking with a medical professional. A sleep study might be needed to assess the reasons you are not getting a full night’s sleep.
“Your best days are ahead of you. The movie starts when the guy gets sober and puts his life back together; it doesn’t end there.” ~ Bucky Sinister
#6. Read your Bible.
Reading your Bible can be as simple as opening your Bible (or letting your smartphone read to you) and reading one chapter a day. If you want to branch out, there are a number of topical Bible reading plans on our website, where you can read or study a verse a day.
Maybe you wish to really dive in so that you can understand the Bible better. In that case, you might try a Bible study method, like The HEAR Method, The SWORD Method, The SOAP Method, or The Inductive Bible Study Method, which is the deepest one that I know of.
#7. Look at your strengths and accomplishments.
A SWOT analysis of your own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats can be very useful when trying to improve your wellness and spirituality in the addiction recovery process.
When we look at where we are excelling, it can easily be a mood booster or give you ideas on what to focus on, what you are good at, and where you should go next.
#8. Practice meditation.
Meditation exercises can help you relax and focus on what’s most important to you.
#9. Stay connected to your community.
Some great ways to improve your wellness and spirituality involve staying connected to your community. You could do some volunteer work or adopt a new pet. Both ideas are very rewarding. In fact, I would bet that you would reap more benefits than you would sow!
“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” ~ Tony Robbins
#10. Pray.
Praying is an excellent way to improve your spirituality. Speaking to God will keep your faith strong. There are some easy ways to pray. Consider writing in a prayer journal, speaking out loud to God, or kneeling and repeating a well-known prayer, like the Lord’s Prayer.
#11. Practice humility and openness to new things.
Humility can speak volumes about a person. If you stay open to new things, you won’t have to worry about being isolated. You’ll be a people magnet. Okay, it might not be that easy, but it will be easier to make friends than if you stay home all the time!
#12. Start a quiet time with God.
Learn how to build a quiet time with God through a study of Psalms. Really, for a successful quiet time, you just need some peace and quiet (consider a prayer closet), a Bible, maybe a notebook or prayer journal, and some fun accessories. Try 15 minutes to start.
#13. Exercise.
Over and over again, it has been proven that exercise releases endorphins, and endorphins (a hormone in the body) make you happy. Dance, swim, run, walk, clean, kickbox, or do some light yoga. Find what you enjoy, and get moving!
“When I focus on what’s good today, I have a good day. When I focus on what’s bad, I have a bad day. If I focus on the problem, the problem increases. If I focus on the answer, the answer increases.” ~ Alcoholics Anonymous
#14. Talk to someone.
There might come a time when you will want to really dive into one of these topics, or when you’ve tried them all without any working for you, a counselor or spiritual advisor could help. They have the tools and resources that many don’t. Why not seek additional help?
#15. Memorize encouraging Bible verses.
Memorizing Scripture is a great way to build your faith. Other ways to get closer to God are to study the Bible (start with the book of John), spend time in nature, or go to church. The great thing about memorizing Scripture is that you can store the Word of God in your heart!
#16. Take care of yourself.
Sometimes, we just need to give ourselves a break. This means that you stop multitasking with five projects at once (yes, I’m talking to myself) and enjoy the things that you love.
#17. Eat right.
Try to avoid fad diets or expensive programs. I’ve done many, and it all really boils down to whole foods and a balance of the food groups. Eliminating or cutting back on sweets or anything with sugar, soda, and increasing your water intake may also help.
Consult a nutritionist or your medical professional if you are changing your diet. Changes in your food intake can affect certain medications. My husband lost 25 pounds by cutting out soda!
“Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.” ~ J K Rowling
#18. Show compassion for others.
When another person is suffering, try to be understanding and empathetic. These qualities will help you show compassion for them and allow you to shine your light into someone else’s life.
#19. Practice mindfulness.
Mindfulness is about living in the moment. This could involve sitting in the quiet for a while. It could also involve meditation and deep thought. You might even want to keep a journal.
#20. Find an accountability partner.
While accountability partners are usually thought of for 12-step recovery programs, they can be helpful at any stage in your life. Find people who share your struggles so that you can help each other find solutions to problems that you all share.
#21. Practice gratitude.
Improve your wellness and spirituality in the addiction recovery process by being thankful. You could keep a gratitude list. Maybe listing what you are grateful for and why would be beneficial to your recovery. Everyone is different, but listing your gratitude will help the process.
#22. Find peace.
Peace can be gained through meditation, yoga, Bible intake, prayer, mindfulness, or spending time with someone quiet and peaceful themselves.
“It doesn’t matter how slowly you go, only that you do not stop.” ~ Confucius
#23. Gain a new sense of purpose.
If you are struggling in the recovery process, you may find it useful to find something new to focus on. It could be a big change, such as getting married, moving, or having a baby. However, I would pray about those things before jumping in since they are life-changing.
I would recommend a smaller change, but still, one that will impact your daily life. For example, you could take on a side hustle, become a published author, speak at a conference, take a step outside of your comfort zone, or make a new friend.
Changing your purpose or adding to it involves examining your personal vision. It can truly help you grow during recovery because it allows you to focus on something other than your addiction. Staying busy was key for me during my recovery process.
#24. Build a relationship with God.
To improve your spirituality in the addiction recovery process, building a relationship with God is key. You can’t really grow your faith or become more spiritual without having Him in your life. I’m not suggesting jumping into an advanced Bible study class or preaching a sermon right away.
Take baby steps. Here are some suggested articles to get you started:
- How to Build a Relationship with God – Part 1
- How to Pray for Beginners
- Why Study the Bible?
- How to Start a Prayer Journal
- How to Go to Church
#25. Memorize the Serenity Prayer.
When you are in recovery, one of the best ideas to keep you grounded is memorizing the Serenity Prayer. Once you have it memorized, you can recite it, if only in your head, anytime and any place. It will be stored in your heart forever.
#26. Strengthen your confidence.
Strengthening your confidence involves positive self-talk, reciting positive self-affirmations, giving yourself new challenges on a regular basis, and setting achievable goals. Of course, there are many other ways to improve your confidence, but that is a great start!
“Above anything else—above family or job—the main thing is staying sober. That’s because without being sober, I don’t have a family or a job.” ~ William Regal
#27. Find supportive people to be around.
Before you entered the recovery process, you probably hung around people who would not be supportive of your recovery today. In other words, they were bad influences. As mentioned before, an accountability partner or friend in recovery can truly help you succeed.
#28. Practice empathy.
Empathy is really just putting yourself in another person’s shoes. This means listening before speaking. Practice active listening to gain the most practice being empathetic. You can reply when they pause with a simple acknowledgement that you understood them.
#29. Be kind to yourself.
Like setting SMART goals in recovery, you want to be reasonable with yourself. Don’t go overboard with expectations. Be realistic. Start small. Baby steps are the key here.
#30. Improve your self-worth.
When you have a positive sense of self-worth, you have the inner feeling that you are a good person – someone who deserves respect from other people.
Here are some quick tips to improve this wellness component:
- Achieve goals.
- Find a fulfilling job.
- Improve personal satisfaction.
- Don’t worry so much about what other people think.
#31. Attend church services.
If you want to improve your spirituality, fellowship will most certainly help. Being around like-minded people, which you can find at the right church, will help you stay on target with your values and give you many other opportunities.
“One day, you’ll tell your story of how you overcame what you went through, and it will be someone else’s survival guide.” ~ Brene Brown
#32. Build a healthy sense of identity.
Your sense of identity involves your experiences, your social life, and many other aspects. Learn how to try a few new things to improve your sense of identity.
#33. Stay motivated.
This is one of my favorite tips. I love feeling motivated to start something. The biggest problem I have in regards to this one is finishing things. I get into the habit of starting something new before finishing what I was working on. This leaves many unfinished projects around the house.
However, I also love self-improvement, so I am constantly learning new ways to do that. For example, I cannot start a new project until I finish the one I’m working on. For me, that might be a knitting project or a Bible study. What about you?
So, how do you stay motivated to improve your progress in the addiction recovery process? The Harvard Business Review suggests that you design goals, not chores. If you feel like you “have” to do something, you are less likely to finish it. Create some fun and exciting goals instead!
#34. Believe in yourself.
Here, working on your self-esteem would be a great start. You must have faith that you can accomplish your goals, or you will be unable to see success.
#35. Trust God’s plan.
Believing that God will keep His promises is a key to improving your spirituality in the addiction recovery process. You must have faith that He will keep His Word. One way to know what His plan is involves studying His promises. There are books on that, which may help.
When difficulties arise, it can be especially hard to trust God and what He has in store for you. Turn to Him. All of your problems will probably not be solved overnight, but things will get better if you trust His plan. Trusting God in difficult times can bring joy and a great deal of hope.
“You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.” ~ Martin Luther King
Conclusion
If you want to improve your wellness and spirituality in the addiction recovery process, be sure to take the first step by trying one of the suggestions listed in this article. What will you try first? Where are you excelling? Where do you see room for improvement? Leave a comment!
“Being in recovery has given me everything of value that I have in my life. Integrity, honesty, fearlessness, faith, a relationship with God, and most of all gratitude. Sobriety was the best gift I ever gave myself.” ~ Rob Lowe
