Along with radical acceptance, mindfulness is another tool I use to help maintain sobriety and good mental health.
Mindfulness helps me focus and be more self-aware and resilient.
It took some time, practice and guidance from my therapist, but the positive affects have been profound to my overall well-being.
Mindfulness basically involves being non-judgmental and objective when dealing with stressful situations.
I pay attention to how I’m feeling emotionally and physically in a situation before reacting.
Impulsivity is a big part of addiction.
As one of my counselors put it “I want what I want, and I want it now.”
Mindfulness is a great self-regulating mechanism and has really made me aware of my triggers and cravings and greatly helped with my decision-making processes.
Not only has practicing mindfulness aided me in maintaining sobriety, but it has also helped greatly when dealing with stressful situations.
In the past, I was a “shoot first and ask questions later” type of person, so to speak.
I often reacted strictly from emotion when thing didn’t go my way.
This caused a great deal of conflict in my personal relationships and gave me a reputation of being a not-so-nice person.
I rarely considered other people’s feelings and was always out for what was best for me.
Mindfulness has taught me that reflecting before reacting is a much more effective way of dealing with stress and conflict and leaves no collateral damage.
Now that I am more aware of my own feelings and emotions, I find that I am more sensitive to others needs and emotions.
This has greatly improved my relationships with family and friends and, more importantly, strangers.
I used to be very impatient with people like store clerks and restaurant servers.
If service wasn’t up to my standards, there were frequent tongue-lashings and inappropriate behavior on my part.
I now feel much more empathetic and compassionate towards others and that is a truly an amazing feeling.
Simply being nicer to people has virtually eliminated all the self-loathing I used to feel.
I have also found appreciation in activities that were lost in my active addiction.
Mindfulness has given me time to pause and remember why I enjoyed certain things and given me the ability to do them again.
For example, I enjoy hiking and walking in nature, but I probably didn’t participate in that activity for five years because it didn’t involve alcohol.
Now I take frequent walks and celebrate the tranquility they provide.
I try to cultivate mindfulness whenever possible.
I’ve tried meditation, both guided and not, but I didn’t really care for it although many swear by it.
I prefer to make mundane things like folding laundry or yardwork mindfulness exercises.
I find myself doing breathing exercises when driving.
Mindfulness doesn’t have to involve elaborate formal exercises to be effective.
Just simply being aware of oneself and one’s surroundings can do wonders to lift spirits and deal with the ebbs and flows of everyday life.
Again, these are some of the techniques that have helped me live a better life.
I’m not an expert, just a guy trying to help others.