Boredom. It is one of the biggest challenges people face in early recovery. If someone leaves the structure of treatment and returns home to spend all day alone and watching TV, they may be tempted to contact old drinking or using buddies to find some fun and get rid of the boredom.
For this reason, it is critical to incorporate fitness and leisure activities during treatment as a way to spark an individual’s life-long interest in sober activities. It may sound a bit strange, but people in early recovery need to be shown that it’s possible to have fun without the use of chemicals.
Importance of Fitness
Exercise contributes to noticeable improvements in self-esteem and increased dedication to recovery. By setting and achieving short-term fitness goals, individuals realize they can accomplish things they previously believed were impossible for them. Through guidance from exercise physiologists and counselors, participants take this new sense of accomplishment and use it as the boost of self-esteem they need to accomplish long-term sobriety.
Importance of Recreation
By the time an individual enters addiction treatment, their leisure and social activities most likely revolve entirely around alcohol and drug use. People recovering from drug and alcohol abuse must learn how to manage stress and have fun without the use of chemicals. Finding leisure activities they enjoy can provide them with a constructive use of their free time.
Recreational activities are an excellent tool for teaching individuals how to achieve goals, solve problems, socialize while sober, and handle stressful situations without the use of drugs or alcohol.
Importance of Outdoor Recreation
The restorative effects of nature are very powerful and can be highly therapeutic, especially to those in treatment for drug or alcohol abuse. Outdoor recreation during treatment provides individuals with the chance to rest and refocus their energies on their recovery.
Benefits of outdoor recreation include reduced stress levels, increased attention span, improved relaxation, decreased anxiety, reduced blood pressure, and decreased risk of depression.
Fitness and Recreation at Vinland Center
At Vinland Center, we strongly believe that an active role in sober recreational activities leads to a fuller and more rewarding life. Our participants have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of recreational activities coordinated by Vinland’s staff. Activities vary from basketball to coloring to visits to the local coffee shop. It is not unusual to hear a client say they never knew they could have so much fun sober!
No matter what the activity is, the intended result is to show participants how to find enjoyment in a leisure activity, encourage them to be socially active, and help them learn new skills that they can apply to other areas of their lives.
More About Fun in Recovery
Music for the Spirit: Finding a Rhythm for Recovery
Finding Fun in Recovery
Volunteering in Recovery
