As Americans celebrate Great Outdoors Month this June, it provides the perfect opportunity to explore how the natural world can enhance your ongoing efforts to stay on track with your sobriety and regain your mental, spiritual and emotional well-being. With that in mind, consider the following benefits of being outside. 1. Engages Your Senses The outdoors provides many multi-sensory experiences. You can admire the bright colors and enticing smells of flowers, hear the sounds of birds singing in the trees above and enjoy the feelings of the sun warming your skin and the breeze blowing through your hair. 2. Helps […]

Small acts of kindness don’t cost you anything to perform, but they are invaluable for your mental well-being. Being kind to someone else will turn your day around, and can spread joy to other people, too. When you intentionally do a good deed, it can improve your brain’s production of serotonin – a neurotransmitter that naturally boosts your mood and gives you a feeling of satisfaction and well-being called the “helper’s high.” Meanwhile, oxytocin, also known as “the love chemical,” reduces your blood pressure, helping improve your physical health as well. By practicing kindness regularly, you can expect to see […]

With much of the United States observing self-quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic, now is an even more critical time to be aware of your mental well-being. In observation of Mental Health Month 2020, here are some examples of ways self-quarantine affects your mental health. 1. Loss of Connection By now, we are aware of the need to stay isolated to protect ourselves and those around us from a highly contagious disease. For most of us, this has created a sense of lost connections – with friends, family members, classmates and co-workers. If you were a regular at a particular […]

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused many of us to make significant changes to our lifestyles. Cities across the nation are now observing “shelter-in-place” and social distancing orders for at least the next month. However, medical experts have cautioned that there’s no definite timeline for when things will return to normal, which means we may need to prepare to adhere to self-quarantine for several more months. How can you keep yourself happy, healthy and entertained while remaining at home? Read on for our top tips. 1. Adjust Your Mindset If you aren’t a homebody by nature, you might […]

Long before our nation felt the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, our elected leaders were dealing with a different epidemic – the widespread problems caused by drug and alcohol addiction. For example, nearly 130 people a day die of an accidental opioid overdose, and in 2018, almost 70% of the 67,367 overdose deaths in 2018 involved an opioid. As of this writing, addiction has claimed significantly more American lives than COVID-19. Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous have been essential in helping many people achieve sustained recovery and learn to live a life of sobriety. However, the shape of the […]

Admitting you need help for an addiction is a complex and highly emotional decision, especially if you also have co-occurring mental health issues such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. The early stages of addiction recovery can be one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, times in your life as therapy teaches you new things about yourself and you start to hone the skills that will help you stay sober for the long term. Here are some strategies for prioritizing your mental health as a recovering addict. 1. Follow Your Aftercare Plan Creating structure around your recovery gives you a […]

Austin has earned a reputation as a cosmopolitan city with no shortage of entertainment options for residents and visitors alike. However, some amenities, such as the capital city’s thriving live music scene, may be best for you to steer clear of if you are in early recovery. The trigger of being in a live music venue where alcohol is liberally flowing could be overwhelming for you, even if you have a robust commitment to sustaining your sobriety. Luckily, Austin has an active recovery community with plenty of alternative sober activities to keep you occupied. Here are some ideas to maximize […]