Mindfulness, also called mindfulness meditation, is a practice that brings awareness to what you’re feeling and sensing in each moment. This lack of judgment and interpretation gives you the freedom to make a neutral assessment of your experiences. Using mindfulness in opioid addiction recovery holds promise as a treatment to curb cravings and help patients recover from opioid addiction.
In this post, we’ll discuss five ways to incorporate mindfulness practices into your recovery process.
How Mindfulness Helps for Opioid Addiction Recovery
Mindfulness is the practice of actively paying attention to the present moment. As you recover, you’re bound to face many challenges — any tool that helps this process has great value. Mindfulness offers many potential benefits for people recovering from opioid addiction:
- Helps you feel more in control and better able to deal with the highs and lows of recovery
- Allows you to observe cravings and triggers objectively without giving them power over your actions
- Provides insight so you can spot warning signs before they lead to relapse
- Helps you find pleasure in the simplest things
- Makes it easier to manage interpersonal relationships, even those damaged by opioid addiction
5 Ways to Practice Mindfulness in Opioid Addiction Recovery
From simple techniques to more structured mindfulness exercises, here are five ways to incorporate mindfulness into your daily life during the opioid addiction recovery process.
1. Be Intentional
The world is busier than ever, and you may find it difficult to slow down. Mindfulness asks you to pay attention to your surroundings and inward life. Try to catalog what you’re going through from one moment to the next. This adds a level of control to situations that can sometimes feel out of control.
2. Practice Acceptance
Recovery is a roller coaster with many ups and downs. Instead of denying how you feel, try to objectively observe thoughts and emotions without getting carried away by them.
3. Avoid Judgment
Mindfulness allows you to feel what you feel without criticism. Whether it’s guilt about your past or an intense urge to use again, take a step back and avoid judgment. Treat yourself the way you would a friend.
4. Focus on Your Breathing
You can’t always control your environment, but you can take steps to not let it affect you. If you’re struggling with stress or negative thoughts, focus on your breathing instead. Sit down, close your eyes and take deep breaths. Concentrate on how your breath moves in and out of your body. Even a minute of focused breathing can calm triggers that put you at risk of relapse.
5. Walking Meditation
You don’t have to sit or lie down to practice mindfulness. Even a short walk presents an opportunity for mindfulness. As you step from the parking lot to your work each day, this short walk can be an act of quiet meditation. Walk slowly and experience each step. Be aware of the subtle movements of your body. When you reach your destination, try to maintain awareness of how you feel.
Receive Personalized Care at MedMark Treatment Centers
At MedMark, we strive to personalize our MAT and counseling services to give patients their best chance at a successful recovery. Mindfulness practices for opioid addiction recovery are just one aspect of counseling we may incorporate into your care plan. If you would like to learn more about our fully individualized treatment programs, contact us today.
