Learning how to manage stress is an important part of growing up. As children, we learn how to manage stress and our emotions by observing and copying the behaviors of both our peers and adults. The presence of or lack of healthy coping skills learned as youth can greatly impact our ability to cope with difficulties once we become adults.
This is especially important when undergoing treatment for addiction and its co-occurring conditions. Although steps are taken to make treatment as smooth as possible, it’s still a stressful endeavor. Those who cannot healthily manage stress during treatment run the risk of burnout and may give up before treatment is completed.
That’s why at Driftwood Recovery, clients utilize therapies to teach them how to manage stress on their own. While learning these essential skills, clients also have access to stress-managing activities. Knowing when you are feeling stressed is also important, as well as recognizing when you need to manage it. Overall, stress management will become second nature over time, especially when given opportunities to practice these skills in a safe and supportive environment.
Although not a comprehensive list, here are a few tips all clients can follow to manage their stress.
Tip 1 – Manage Stress by Moving Your Body
Exercise and moving your body release endorphins, which are a feel-good chemical. It has been proven that exercise can help boost your mental health. Psychical activity allows stress to leave the body, especially when engaging in enjoyable activities.
At Driftwood Recovery, all clients are encouraged to move their bodies as part of treatment. It can be vigorous movement, such as playing a sport through therapeutic recreation, or more relaxing, such as yoga. Before beginning any physical activity, it’s important to speak with a professional to prevent injuries. They can give you the tips you need to enjoy physical activity safely.
Tip 2 – Self-Care for Stress Relief
Taking care of your physical and emotional needs is essential to manage stress. Many times, stress can be relieved by satisfying vital biological functions. Getting proper sleep and rest is one such way to manage stress, as it bolsters your body. Eating nutritious food at regular intervals, as well as remaining properly hydrated, can all reduce stress. If you feel stressed, it might be because you are tired, hungry, or thirsty.
Self-care also refers to fulfilling one’s emotional and spiritual needs as well. Engaging in activities that you feel are purposeful or working to better yourself are all forms of self-care. Many times people feel stressed because they feel as though they have no direction in life. Actively working towards a goal to fulfill this need can also manage stress.
Tip 3 – Find Healthy Outlets to Manage Stress
Stress is harmful because it remains inside a person until it can be expressed. Those engaging in unhealthy stress relief may engage in substance abuse or other dangerous activities to feel better. However, there are ways for a person to manage stress healthily without resorting to harmful activities.
Driftwood Recovery encourages clients to find hobbies and activities that release stress and give them joy. Some common examples of hobbies that can be used to manage stress include crafts, gardening, or playing games. Therapies designed to manage stress, such as art therapy, can provide a client with a lifelong outlet for stress.
Tip 4 – Reduce Stressors by Accepting Help
Another way to manage stress is to accept professional help. Attempting to accomplish a difficult task on your own can be highly stressful and frustrating. It’s especially true if you experience repeated failures, which can work to demotivate a person. In time, a person may even stop trying, which is something that cannot be allowed to happen in treatment.
To help with that, clients are encouraged to trust in others to help them. The bond between client and provider is only possible through this trust, which ultimately promotes healing. Driftwood Recovery makes this easier by being staffed by compassionate and understanding professionals. Clients can let go of their stress by allowing these professionals to help them carry their struggles. Understanding that your providers will give you time to breathe through the treatment process can go a long way to managing your stress.
Tip 5 – Manage Stress by Being Kind to Yourself
Perhaps the greatest tip of all to manage stress is to be kind to yourself. It’s not unheard of for someone to take up more of a burden than they need to and then put themselves down for failing. Sometimes, these negative thoughts and feelings of unworthiness will turn on a person, causing them to inadvertently self-sabotage their progress. If you want to manage stress healthily, you must treat yourself better.
This can be done by changing your mindset to be more compassionate and realistic. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is often used to help clients speak to themselves in a kinder and more understanding way. It allows them to set realistic goals so they can celebrate their successes. Part of this mindset is also accepting that failing is a part of life, but it doesn’t mean that you cannot try again. It’s always better to try than it is to preemptively give up.
This more positive mindset doesn’t just manage stress; it gives you support and encouragement to face any task that lies ahead.
Again, this list is not comprehensive, as there are many individual ways in which a client can learn to manage stress. If you feel overly stressed during treatment and recovery, it’s always encouraged to speak to a mental health care professional. They will be able to get you the therapies needed to encourage healthy coping skills and find relief. Stress is temporary, but the skills you learn to manage stress will last forever.
Stress can be a major contributor to addiction and other mental health conditions. Learning how to healthily manage one’s stress is an essential part of treatment and recovery. Without these skills, it’s possible to struggle with treatment burnout or even experience a relapse. That’s why at Driftwood Recovery in Driftwood and Austin, Texas, clients spend time learning stress management and relief techniques as part of treatment. Not only do clients learn skills to mitigate the effect of stress on themselves, but they also have time to participate in stress-reliving activities, such as walks or breathing exercises. If you or a loved one is struggling, don’t wait to get treatment. Call Driftwood Recovery today at (512) 759-8330.