Stress and anxiety can cause issues for healthy people; for recovering addicts, they can cause a relapse. If you are under stress and anxiety, you might be surprised to learn that a hobby can relieve both from your daily life.
Find a hobby
If you had a hobby before, get back into it. If not find a hobby you like, there are plenty from which to choose. Some combined exercise with quiet meditation time; others require creativity. Some are just quiet and non-strenuous.
The goal is to find something that helps you relax and get rid of the stress and or anxiety that you are feeling. Exercise of any kind is a great stress and anxiety reducer.
Hobbies you can try
Here is a list of 10 hobbies you can try that will relieve your stress and anxiety.
- Knitting, crocheting, needlepoint
- Reading; in fact, your recovery program probably had a list of books that they suggest you read; if not, ask your sponsor
- Listening to music you can even combined reading and listening to music or listen to music and dance
- Fishing at the seashore, a lake, pond, or stream all provide you with hours of quiet time and the sounds of nature to help you relax
- Woodworking
- Hiking, jogging, or walking these can be done alone but also with a friend
- Martial arts not only teaches self-defense, but it also introduces a healthy discipline of mind and body
- Picture taking can turn into various crafts and art for yourself or as a gift
- Journaling or write a story for yourself or your kids, nieces, or nephews; journaling is usually used in most recovery programs, so keep it going
- Bicycling, rock climbing, anything that is not competitive with other people
There are plenty of sports for fun that does not require you to be competitive. Being competitive can cause stress and anxiety, so if you decide to play a football game or baseball with friends, remind them it is for fun only not for competition.
There are tons of hobbies, even if you don’t know how to do something such as cooking, dance, or others, there are plenty of classes that you can take to learn. You not only reduce your stress and anxiety, but you also broaden your horizon. And that can also reduce stress and anxiety as you find something that you enjoy and become good at, your self-esteem gets a boost.
Conclusion
Hobbies can relieve your stress and anxiety, allow you to learn something new, and give you a self-esteem boost; all good things for your recovery.
449 Recovery promotes journaling and reading during the recovery treatment process. Call us today (855) 435-7449 to learn more about our treatment program, including our continuously monitored detox program. Therapies include individual, group, family, cognitive behavioral therapy, and more. Our goal is to help you achieve and maintain your sobriety and provide you tools to reduce your stress and anxiety after leaving our treatment center.