Recovering from addiction may seem an impossible task. But a person’s strong desire to overcome this problem, plus rehabilitation and support from friends and family, would be the key to breaking free from alcohol and drugs. Also, taking the mind off whatever caused the addiction would be helpful.
Moreover, participating in activities that could hone a person’s skills or improve one’s well-being could strengthen the benefits of rehab. With that, here are eight hobbies that could help individuals who are recovering from addiction.
1. Participating In Sports
Recovering drug and alcohol users may find activities like regular exercise or team sports to be a fun-filled experience. They could even excel in such activities since exercise and sports are known to release hormones that promote happiness, pleasure, and joy.
If you’re keen on helping a friend with addiction, you can find a sport you both enjoy. Running marathons, for example, may do wonders for physical, mental, and emotional health. You may also ask a recovering addict to join your team if you’re already playing basketball, baseball, tennis, or badminton with other friends. The camaraderie or the feeling they belong to a group may help in their recovery from addiction.
2. Learning How To Cook
Cooking is a pleasurable activity that could give an immediate sense of accomplishment. Many videos online can teach anybody to cook something as simple as boiled eggs or as complicated as paella or beef Wellington dishes. There are just so many cuisines to try, and anybody can cook anything regardless of skill level.
Another reason cooking can be a worthwhile experience is it could make people understand more about nutrition. Instead of grabbing fast food, upstart cooks can create meals that are satisfying and full of nutrients. Good nutrition plays an important role among recovering addicts. Thus, enable them to choose and prepare the correct type of food their body needs to overcome the ill effects of addiction. Some of the things they could incorporate into their daily diet are fruit and vegetables, whole grains, and high-fiber meals.
Aside from learning to cook meals, recovering addicts could also dabble in baking. It’s said that kneading dough could be helpful in relaxing the mind.
3. Gardening
Gardening has always been regarded as an ideal hobby for people afflicted with physical, mental, and emotional conditions. At least one study has noted that gardening may evoke positivity among recovering addicts. Thus, it may boost the results of a rehabilitation program. Additionally, it’s believed that tending to plants could give them peace of mind and may even help them keep fit.
Gardening could likewise help recovering addicts manage their anxiety, connect to nature and other people, and feel a sense of empowerment. If you know someone interested in including natural therapy as part of their rehabilitation or recovery program, you could recommend gardening.
4. Going Into Music
Another type of treatment that has been proven effective in helping address a myriad of disorders or conditions is music therapy. Individuals with alcoholism problems or substance use disorders may be encouraged to join choirs and other musical groups.
Those just starting out can enroll in music lessons to enhance their voices or learn to play instruments. As their talent grows, they might even be encouraged to share their skills with their friends and family.
5. Easing The Mind With Yoga And Meditation
Sometimes, life could feel chaotic for people suffering from substance disorders and alcoholism, especially when they get back to everyday life after weeks of rehabilitation. Yoga and meditation are ideal hobbies to suggest to friends who have a tough time on their addiction recovery road. This is because these activities are known to focus on achieving tranquility and peace through the practice of mindfulness.
Yoga and meditation are also believed to clear the mind, calm one’s emotions, and even improve physical health. You can add yoga and meditation to other hobbies, such as gardening, sports, and music, for a more holistic recovery approach.
6. Expressing Oneself Through Arts
Aside from music, there are art-related hobbies that people recovering from alcoholism and substance use disorders could enjoy. For example, joining a theater may be a significant step for those who want a hobby related to the arts but are unsure what field to get into. Theater arts don’t solely involve acting. A community theater also needs dancers, singers, prop makers, makeup artists, costume makers, and set designers to stage a play or musical.
Writing is another hobby that involves artistic expression. Recovering alcoholics and substance users can start maintaining a journal to express anything and everything they feel, think, or imagine. The process of writing could help them release deep-seated feelings of regret, relationship problems, and other issues. Sometimes, pouring out emotions using a pen and paper could be a cathartic experience that would allow substance disorder and alcoholism sufferers to achieve renewal.
There are certain art crafts they could also engage in that could assist in their recovery while helping them earn a little. Some of these are the following:
- Crocheting
- Knitting
- Jewelry making
- Weaving
- Candle or soap making
- Papermaking
- Metalwork
7. Doing Volunteer Work
Volunteering is a unique activity that anyone who has extra time in their hands can participate in and enjoy. But for those who have experienced being in a low point of their lives, such as recovering alcoholics or substance users, doing small things that can substantially impact society could bring a sense of importance and fulfillment.
Volunteer work may bring a sense of redemption, such as working in pet or farm shelters, rescuing animals, and getting involved in nursing homes. Similarly, helping in soup kitchens and assisting in local organizations are also volunteer work examples that could help alcoholics and substance abusers recover from their condition.
8. Grabbing A Book
Books are gateways to places you have never been, experiences you want to explore, and things you want to learn and understand. Reading could be relaxing and entertaining for anybody, especially those who wish to recover from certain conditions. And for those who want to get a step further and would like to immerse themselves in the world of stories, literature, and words, they could always spend time or even extend a helping hand in their local library.
Bottom Line
Sometimes, recovering addicts who have too much time in their hands may feel bored, unhappy, and even depressed. When this happens, they may be forced to go back to a life of substance or alcohol abuse. Inviting recovering addicts to get a new hobby or learn new skills would make them busy and feel good about themselves. Ultimately, getting a hobby could help support their road to recovery.
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