For those who have suffered addiction and have gone through the treatment process and are heading to the other side and recovery, there’s going to be a big void in your life.
When addiction has you in its grips, no matter what the addiction, it can take a hold of your life where alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, gambling or any other addiction is your number one priority and your time is spent in its company, forgetting about friends, family and hobbies.
It’s incredibly unhealthy and life-threatening, but what does happen is if you escape that addiction, having got treatment in cannabis rehab, for example, you’ll have a lot of spare time that needs filling. You can visit UKAT and find out more about this.
And it really does need filling. One of the main causes of relapse is not utilising your time effectively, with boredom and having too much time to think a major cause of relapse. So it’s important to ensure that you maximise your time and do it in a way to suit your new life. In many cases it can even support your recovery.
So, what are the best hobbies to take up to ensure you stay on track and avoid the drugs?
Exercise
In treatment you’ll always be encouraged to do exercise and it really can change your life for the better. First and foremost, exercise is good for you. There is absolutely no denying that. Secondly, it passes time. And thirdly, the effects of exercise release endorphins that can help prevent cravings and keep you thinking clearly.
However, there are so many other benefits too, whether you’re looking to enjoy solo or team activities.
Take running, for example, by partaking in daily runs you’ll feel the health benefits and start a routine that will help fill some of the time that was once used for taking drugs. The more you run though, the fitter and better at it you’ll get. That may see you take on challenges such as 10ks, half marathons or even marathons.
You may wish to sign up to a marathon which can be a truly memorable life event. Take the New York Marathon, sign up and you’d get to run the streets of the Big Apple, past famous and historic monuments with no traffic on the road. It’s a memory that will last a lifetime.
Then there are team sports. Not only are you getting fit, but you’re also finding new social groups to hang out with and get to know. This friendship group will see you leave your old friends, who perhaps aided your addiction behind, and place you in a much healthier social circle.
Relaxing hobbies
Avoiding stress is so important when it comes to recovery from the likes of drug addiction and having hobbies that can aid relaxation are so vital. There are many different activities that you can undertake when it comes to this. That could come from sports such as golf or fishing, or the likes of yoga and meditation which are designed to be calming.
Throughout treatment, many people will take up yoga and many people will continue it as part of the routine in everyday life. Yoga can help clear the mind and allow people to think more clearly to ensure that any stress that enters the life is managed efficiently, and without the temptation of your addiction.
Other relaxing hobbies that are hugely popular among people in recovery are:
- Painting
- Pottery
- Crocheting
- Drawing
And many other arts and crafts focused activities. What’s more, by taking up hobbies in which you create, you’ll also have results of what you have achieved, which you can create a collection from or even start selling and set up a new business.
Many people take their skills for creation and start a business that they’re passionate about, and that has certainly risen in more recent times with the likes of Etsy making it easier to sell your creations than ever before.
Learn a new skill
Which also falls into learning new skills. While the likes of pottery may be relaxing, many people won’t know how to do it, so it also provides a chance to try something new and learn.
Learning a new skill in recovery is a great way to focus the mind on something else and ensure it’s fully engaged. There are so many things you can learn and it’s a chance to think about what you’ve always fancied doing but perhaps alcohol or drugs got in the way. You can throw yourself in the deep end and take up dancing, or perhaps you want to pay more attention to your diet, where you can not only start living more healthily but also learn how to cook and be a semi-pro in the kitchen.
Languages are always popular to learn when in recovery too, as it will not only give you that focus while in class and doing homework, but also something to look forward to – perhaps when you’ve become an accomplished speaker of a language you can visit there!
Become a volunteer
There are a couple of reasons why volunteering can be a good first step and hobby when leaving rehab. It’s a no-pressure entrance to the working world firstly, and a good step if you’re looking to get your career back on track but are still slightly concerned by potential stresses causing you to relapse.
Volunteering allows you to work on your terms, that means the number of days and hours you work, while you can also pick and choose the type of volunteering you wish to do.
By choosing a voluntary role for something you are interested in, you can enjoy your passions, as well as meet other people with similar interests to you. That will strengthen that social circle and support network you have, getting to know new people and making new friends.
It may be something you only do for a short while, or even the rest of your life, but volunteering can be hugely beneficial for life outside of rehab and getting on with your life in a healthier and happier way.
