10 ways to enjoy summer without substance abuse

10 Ways to Enjoy Summer Without Substance Abuse It’s tempting to rationalize substance abuse as “enhancing” whatever activity you’re involved in, but we all know that’s not what’s truly going on. The grip of addiction and escapism has taken hold. With the summer season around the bend, you can throw off that comfort blanket and find larger and more fantastic ways to enjoy the warm weather.

Here are 10 suggestions to get you started enjoying a substance-free summer:

1. Soak In Your New Senses

While these drugs may seem to enhance your enjoyment and sensitivities, ultimately they dull them below your normal baseline. When you go sober, your senses bounce back strong. Enjoy the arts during this time! Take up photography, learn a musical instrument, explore a new genre of music, take classes on painting, and more. The options are endlessly plentiful and enjoyable.

2. Engage Instead Of Escape

Now that you’ve stopped escaping through substance abuse, you’re free to engage in the activities and responsibilities you’ve been putting off. Dig deeper into those lost hobbies. Explore your spirituality.

Conquer the household and career-based responsibilities you’ve avoided. Don’t chop at the symptoms

of anxiety, depression, and boredom any more. Pull them up by the roots by confronting instead of simply coping through self-harm.

3. Pay It Forward: Volunteering

There are others in earlier stages of the addiction cycle that could use your perspective and insight.

Volunteer with these people like us. You can inspire them to attack and win, instead of sinking into a self-loathing hole. Show them how good life and summer can be.

4. Get In Shape

Long periods of substance abuse can take their toll on our health and looks. Exercising helps defend against relapse too, so get in the gym, on the track, or in that yoga class and work off those extra pounds, build muscle, and increase your cardio enduranceand flexibility again. Make it fun by including activities such as rock climbing, biking adventures, and anything else that sounds like a good time in the summer sun.

5. Expand Your Social Circle

Meet new people and rekindle old friendships that bolster your sobriety. Shirk off those who don’t accept you for you and only validate and enable your addictive tendencies. Be around those who you want to be like, and it will surely happen.

6. Fill the Gap With Cultural Expansion

You’ll find you have so much more free time now. Take this opportunity to learn about your culture, whether that be digging into your family tree, learning about your ethnic heritage, or even traveling to a

distant country. Go to operas, museums, events, the library, dancing and cooking classes, or watch documentaries. With this larger frame of reference, you’ll see a bigger picture that’ll help you focus outside of yourself.

7. Commune With Nature

Lose yourself in the majestic forests while hiking with your dog. Take up gardening and pour your energies into caring for your vegetable friends that will later feed you good. Help your children or nieces and nephews build the tree house of their dreams. Get creative here and you’ll have a blast and enjoy the cool breezes.

8. Reconnect With Your Family

Foster the important relationships in your life that you may have damaged or let slide off to the side during your addictive times. Let these people know that you love them and appreciate that they will always be there for you if you fulfill your side of the bargain as well. Show them your dedication to recovery and enjoy their company.

9. Re-Experience Your Inner Child

Remember how full of excitement life was when we were younger? Go back to those times and remember who you really are and want to be. Pick up old hobbies, video games, movies, books, and shows. Go back and re-experience the exact same material that you loved and revive these feelings of magic and wonder.

10. Establish New Habits

Use this time with additional discipline, planning, self-observation, and journaling to lock in these newer, healthier habits so they last into autumn, winter, and beyond. Watch your mind states, identify your triggers, get rid of negative mental habits, and replace them with gratitude.

Summer is your chance to reinvent yourself. Do it with grace and style, all the while having the time of your life!