In a previous blog entry, we introduced the idea of mindfulness and discussed the ways in which the practice can be helpful to a person in recovery from a substance use disorder.
A quick refresher: Mindfulness encourages you to stay present in the current moment rather than ruminating about the past or worrying about the future. This process of staying present can provide a boost to your mental health and help you maintain your hard-won sobriety.
The practice itself is actually pretty simple once you get started, but getting started can be tricky. Even with the best of intentions, it tends to be easier to maintain the status quo rather than introducing something new into your schedule. Since the benefits of mindfulness include shoring up your sobriety, we want to point you toward some resources that might make it more likely that you find a way to make mindfulness practice a priority.
Read Your Way to More Info About Mindfulness
If you are the kind of person who likes to take a deep dive into a topic when you are learning something new, it is likely you would enjoy reading a book or two about mindfulness—and there are a great many to choose from.
You can, for example, find suggestions on lists like this one and this one. With a little searching online or in your favorite bookstore, you can likely find a mindfulness book that appeals to you and explains the practice in simple and practical ways. Many people have engaged with the writings of Thich Nhat Hanh (a beloved monk who wrote many books), Jon Kabat-Zinn (who is often credited with popularizing the practice in the West), or Faith G. Harper (who takes a decidedly edgier approach to considering mindfulness and a whole range of other topics).
But again, there are many, many books you can crack open to get a strong sense of what mindfulness is, how it works, and how it might be of benefit to you.
You Can Likely Find an Apt Mindfulness App
It will probably come as no surprise that there is a range of options when it comes to apps devoted to mindfulness. Some are free while others require subscriptions to get the most out of them, and several offer more than just mindfulness exercises.
You can find suggestions on lists like this one and this one. Even the apps that require payment for full access often have free trials or some exercises you can try for free. Take your time and find the app that seems to work best for you. Your favorite will likely be the one you find easiest to navigate and that features voices that are appealing to you. There is, of example, one instructor on a popular app whose British accent beguiles some and annoys others.
Finding the app that is the best fit for you makes it more likely you will be able to get going and build a regular mindfulness practice.
Mindfulness Moments on YouTube Might be Great for Work
The odds are pretty good that you could benefit from some mindfulness practice during your workday. Of course, apps like the ones we discussed above can be useful at work, but if you have a desk job, you might find that the easiest thing to do is to find a video you can engage with from your desktop. It turns out there are lots of mindfulness exercises on YouTube, for example—including this example.
Seek Out Classes in Your Community
Depending on where you live, you may be able to find mindfulness classes in your community. This can be a great opportunity to get some in-person support while also sharing the experience with other people. We should also note that yoga might be thought of as mindfulness in motion, and you may be able to find a yoga class even if there are no mindfulness groups in your area.
Whether you find a mindfulness class or a yoga class, the social aspects of sharing the practice with others is also a good way to support your mental health—especially as you remember that everyone is working through things in their own lives just as you are working through things in yours.
Your Sobriety and Mental Health Are Always on Our Mind
At The Farley Center—located in Williamsburg, Virginia—we are devoted to helping individuals regain and maintain their sobriety and improve their mental health. We rely on evidence-based practices to create personalized treatment plans grounded in our expertise, experience, and empathy. When you have decided it is time to make a change, we hope you will keep The Farley Center in mind as a place where effective substance use and mental health disorder treatment is always available.
