When you are in recovery from a substance use disorder, it is a good idea to keep an eye on your stress levels. That is because high levels of stress can put you at higher risk for a relapse.
Of course, plenty of different things in your life probably cause—some of which you can control and some of which you can’t. While it is true that you will not be able to eliminate stress, it is also true that you can take proactive action to lessen its power in your life.
The key is to make small changes that can have big benefits when it comes to reducing stress. We have three examples to share.
A Budget Can Make Money Matters Less Stressful
Money—how much you have and how much you need—can be a major stressor. That is especially true when you do not have a clear grasp of your financial situation. That is why we suggest making and sticking to a budget.
Creating a budget is a pretty simple exercise. First, determine how much money you bring home each month. Remember, that your take home page is not the same as your salary or hourly wage because of the various deductions that come out of each check. Once you pin down that number, the next step is adding up your expenses.
When figuring out your expenses, it is probably easiest to start with your fixed bills—your rent or house payment, your car payment, your student loan payment, your cell phone bill, and so on. You also need to estimate your variable expenses like utility bills, the cost of groceries and gas, and more. Add all of those expenses together and then compare that number to your income.
Ideally, your income will be higher than your expenses. And you might discover some expenses you can lower or even eliminate. In the end, making sure you know how you can meet your expenses each month can lower the stress and anxiety you might feel about money. That, in turn, supports your ongoing recovery.
You can read more about budgets in this previous entry.
Tidying Up Can Make Your Daily Routine Less Stressful
Take a look at your immediate surroundings. What level of untidiness do you see? Maybe none. Maybe some. Maybe a lot.
We ask not out of judgment but to suggest that sometimes a mess can lead to more stress. That is true for a number of reasons. First, and perhaps most obviously, a messy space can be less calming to inhabit because things just seem more chaotic than they do in a more neatly kept room.
A messy space also adds to stress because it makes it more difficult to find things (like your keys or your phone), easier to forget things (like a bill you need to pay or an appointment you wrote on a scrap of paper), and more likely that you will find it hard to focus or even to sleep.
Tidying up, on the other hand, has a number of benefits. First, it can give you an easy win when you feel stuck, unmotivated, or overwhelmed by your to-do list. Second, it makes each of the problems listed above less likely to negatively affect your day—and that means you will feel less stress, which firms up the foundations of your recovery.
Doing Less Doomscrolling Can Make Your Online Time Less Stressful
Imagine you have finished a task at work and decide to take a short break. There are plenty of positive things you could do during that break. A quick walk, a healthy snack, a pleasant conversation with a coworker about something not related to work at all.
But many of us turn to our phones when we take these breaks—and all too often, that leads to doomscrolling.
The word “doomscrolling” refers to the tendency to spend far too much time taking in troubling news or social media content. While it is certainly important to stay informed, doomscrolling tends to lead to anxiety and stress. And, because you do not always realize you are doing it, doomscrolling can also eat up more time than you intend—and that can increase your stress, too.
Our advice is to fill your breaks with the sorts of positive options we mentioned above. Less doomscrolling means less stress and better outcomes in recovery.
Few Things Are More Stressful Than a Substance Use Disorder
At The Aviary Recovery Center—located near St. Louis, Missouri—we help individuals overcome substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health disorders. Our approach is grounded in evidence and supported by our expertise, years of experience, and spirit of empathy.
Struggling with drugs or alcohol is one of the most stressful things you can go through. Getting into treatment can change the trajectory of your life. At The Aviary, we can see you through medically supervised detoxification and our robust rehabilitation program that includes both individual and group therapy sessions. And we provide ongoing support once your time in treatment comes to an end. We are dedicated to helping you make a lasting change for the better.
