With the advancement in technology, spending time outdoors is slowly becoming a rare occurrence. But, if you’re going through addiction recovery treatment, you’ll need to go out more. Simply walking your dog or jogging are good ways to boost addiction recovery outdoors. 

Although you may not always feel like being outdoors, being deliberate matters. Your need for complete recovery should spur you to get out more often. Moreover, there are benefits of staying in nature for addiction recovery. It helps you clear your head while enjoying what Mother Nature has to offer.

Often, putting off going outdoors during addiction recovery translates to setting yourself up for relapse. You see, recovering addicts who spend most of their time indoors risk having depression and other psychological problems. In addition to this, they are prone to illnesses such as diabetes, mental impairment and excess weight gain.

In this article, we discuss how you can boost addiction recovery outdoors. Also, we discuss how staying indoors can adversely affect addiction treatment. Coupled with these, we list some engaging outdoor activities you can try.

How Staying Indoors Can Affect Addiction Treatment

While recovering from an addiction, there are things to abstain from. One of such things is staying indoors. The outdoors has many benefits, and staying indoors has many risks.

Here are different risks that accompany staying indoors and how it affects your addiction treatment.

1. When you stay indoors for too long, boredom sets in. this may cause you to go back to the addictive substance.
2. Additionally, staying indoors can greatly affect your creativity. You see the same things day in, day out.
3. Also, it can cause you to lose sleep. You may sleep so much during the day, sleeping at night becomes difficult.
4. Isolating yourself is one of the signs of depression. Therefore, staying indoors can foster depression.
5. You may just be putting your health at risk by staying indoors. You risk being obese when you stay indoors.
6. Another risk of staying indoors is your body not receiving enough vitamin D. Since sunlight is the major source of Vitamin D, you need to get yourself outside.

Getting addiction treatment services is essential in achieving sobriety. More so, you can boost addiction recovery outdoors. 

Related article: Personalities to Avoid During Addiction Recovery | Recovery from an Addiction

How Getting Outdoors Can Boost Addiction Recovery

There is a connection between the outdoors and sobriety. This may be because nature has a way of calming us. One benefit of staying in nature for addiction recovery is that it reduces stress. By taking a walk outdoors, stress fizzles out, leaving a refreshing feeling.

Another fact on how the outdoors promotes sobriety is that it exposes your mind to many creative things. The outdoors helps you to think faster and more effectively. In addition, engaging in exercises helps you to burn fat and keep fit. As a result of this, you’re eliminating the risk of obesity.

Below are some benefits of the outdoors in addiction treatment.

Helps to fight insomnia

While in addiction recovery, it’s not unusual to lose sleep now and then. However, one way to fight insomnia is by going outside. When you engage in activities that make the heart pump faster, you’re using up your energy. Thereby making you tired and sleepy.

Also, when you spend time outdoors, you’re resetting the body’s circadian rhythms. Adequate morning sunlight helps to promote sleep. You can jog in the morning to expose your body to sunlight. The sun contains a high amount of Vitamin D which the body needs.

Kills boredom

Staying indoors all day can greatly increase your chances of relapsing. Other than staying home all day binge-watching or simply doing nothing, go outdoors. By doing this, thoughts of the addictive substance will be far from your mind.

Also, you may begin to notice symptoms of depression reduce when you spend time outdoors. If you find yourself thinking too much, it may be a sign you need to get out more often. Indeed, depression heightens when you’re bored.

By choosing to be outdoors, you boost your addiction recovery and kill boredom at the same time. Moreover, spending time outdoors makes you feel lighter. Nature has so much for you to see that can cause you to smile.

Restores and strengthens the immune system

Substance abuse weakens the immune system. As a result of a weak immune system, the body is prone to illnesses. One way to get your body healthy again is by going outdoors.

For a healthy immune system, the body requires Vitamin D which the sunlight gives. By exposing yourself to early morning sunlight daily, you’re strengthening your immune system. Not getting adequate sunlight can cause you to have autoimmune diseases, heart disease and diabetes.

Your health is equally as important as your sobriety. Fun fact? Your immune system can’t become resistant to illnesses if you don’t spend time outdoors. 

Reduces stress

Stress is a significant cause of addiction relapse. Most people often turn to addictive substances when they can’t deal with stress. Additionally, stress can slow down your healing process. Therefore, it is something you must try your best to avoid. One sure-fire way to reduce stress and boost addiction recovery outdoors is by going sightseeing.

You’ll notice your stress level drops significantly when you go outdoors. Indeed, looking at nature can hasten your addiction recovery. Whenever your stress level shoots up, it’s likely a sign that you’re not going out enough. If you are an animal lover, you can feed birds at the park to reduce stress. 

Enhances creative thinking

Phones, laptops and other electronic devices have a way of keeping you out of touch with your environment. Make it a habit to turn your phones off for a while and go outdoors. Go fishing, skiing or hiking. Doing this enhances your creativity. You’re able to reason faster and come up with more creative ideas.

If you love to write, write a poem outdoors while looking at nature. Mental impairment is a result of staying indoors for too long. One of the benefits of the outdoors in addiction treatment is that it enhances creativity.

Outdoor Activities You Can Engage In During Addiction Recovery

• Walking.
• Go on a picnic with loved ones.
• Go cycling.
• Go to the cinema or attend a concert.
• Take pictures outdoors
• Fishing
• Go the park 
• Skiing

To Sum It Up

Sometimes we need nature to help us remember how beautiful life is. Addiction recovery has its ups and downs that can take a toll on you. However, irrespective of the situation, it’s important you embrace life and enjoy its beauty.

During this time, staying indoors won’t do any good. Boredom and depression may set in which can cause you to relapse. On the other hand, there are several ways you can boost addiction recovery outdoors. Moreover, your body needs fresh air, adequate sunlight and a natural environment to heal.

In this article, we discussed the benefits of the outdoors in addiction treatment. Additionally, we list some activities you can engage in to boost addiction recovery outdoors. Also, we discuss how staying indoors can affect addiction recovery treatment.

Unsure of where to get the best addiction treatment services in Vancouver? Call Inspire Change Addiction Rehab in Vancouver for addiction treatment programs.