How to Overcome Emotional Distress
Take a moment to recognize the things in your life that are causing you stress; those things that are contributing to a number of difficulties across numerous areas of life. Consider what it might be like to be proactive, to feel in control of those things rather than always existing in a reactive state, and letting them control you. While stress is not necessarily always a bad thing, chronic stress impacts your health and can get in the way of creating the life you want for yourself.
When addiction is a part of your life, it can be tempting to seek to “numb out” rather than learn positive alternatives to coping with your stress. However, addressing your stress in positive ways can serve two purposes: if you can decrease your emotional distress, the desire and need for substance use will also decrease, and you will have learned better ways to handle the difficulty of whatever you may be facing.
Live in the present moment:
When we go through emotionally stressful situations, we may become consumed by it and continue to ruminate on what happened, either replaying the events or worrying about everything that can still go wrong. Unsurprisingly, rumination will only increase your stress level. Instead, it's important to practice mindfulness and notice when you start to ruminate and instead switch your attention and thoughts to the present moment.
Work to forgive yourself for the past, let go of the worry about the future and commit to living in the present. Practice mindful breathing exercises, grounding techniques and meditation to help keep yourself in the present moment.
There’s a lot of mindfulness based approaches, however, in short, mindfulness is the act of bringing your attention to the present moment. This can include noticing any sensations you’re experiencing in your body in the moment, noticing and identifying any emotions you’re experiencing, and noticing and identifying any thoughts going through your mind.
Move Your Body:
There’s a saying in CrossFit, “Motion moves emotion”, so get up and get moving. Move your body in fun ways: go surfing, go for a run, breathe deeply, laugh till your stomach hurts, get a massage, walk, skip, or kickbox, etc.. Help your body shed the emotions it is holding onto. It may be hard to motivate yourself at first, but you will feel better after.
Create a Support Network:
Connect with people who make you feel less alone. This means people who can sit with you in your pain and those who can also lift you up. Experiencing emotional distress due to the circumstances of life can make us want to isolate ourselves and withdraw. Resist this temptation and remember that it is this instinct that often fuels your addictive patterns. Instead seek connection with your friends, family, or recovery support groups.
Make Time to Relax:
Take the time you need for yourself, to do activities that bring you a sense of calm and allow you to relax. This may feel odd at first and it may seem boring, but your nervous system needs time to cool itself down. Try coloring, going to a relaxation yoga or meditation class, have a hot bath, read a book, or play calming music. Find activities that help you to feel relaxed and calm, and create consistent practices that allow you to engage in them regularly.
Seek Help:
If you struggle with chronic stress it may also be good to seek professional help. There may be some underlying issues such as trauma that need to be addressed and healed. At Peace Club, we are more than a treatment center, and want to give you the opportunity to address some of these harmful patterns within the context of a supportive recovery community. If you or someone you know continues to make choices that are ultimately not helpful, choosing to value alcohol or other substances over the priorities, give us a call to see how we can help.
Rachel SuttonJanuary 4, 2023
