As most addicts know – or at least find out once they start the road to recovery – addiction takes an effect on your entire body: physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. And, once you begin your road to recovery, not only will you be focused on staying sober, but you will also need to focus on getting your body back on track.
Your body can typically repair itself from most if not all of the damage done, but it does need help along the way through exercise, proper rest, and nourishment.
Addiction often damages your mind and body – it can leave you feeling tired, weak, and forgetful. So, when it comes to recovery you are probably thinking about your new eating routine which will include a lot of fruits, vegetables, supplements, and various other nutritional things. Next, you are likely thinking about your new exercise plan that will incorporate getting active and being involved, you might start running or swimming. It is all about gaining that strength back and putting positive things back into your life.
But, what about your mind? That is one thing that still needs exercise and needs to be returned to a healthy state. But, it is something we haven’t talked about yet…
Well, there are literally exercises you can do for your mind. No, I don’t mean something crazy like running around and screaming your name out for a mile. Rather, they are just simple exercises that will stimulate your mind and cause you to use various sides and parts of your brain.
A healthy mind is needed for a healthy body – they go hand-in-hand. So, by exercising your brain, you are promoting a healthier physical body and just a healthier life overall.
Now, what you have been waiting for, here are those healthy mind exercises:
Test your memory.
Make a list of something – it could be a grocery list or just a random list of items. But, then take a few minutes to memorize it. Next, put the list away and try to recall all items on the list – keeping count of how many you can recall.
Do math in your head.
This can be frustrating because not everyone enjoys math – but it is stimulating and beneficial. So, look up a few random math problems online and practice working them out in your head.
Learn something new.
This could be a new sport or even a new language, but either way, learning something new is beneficial to your mind and your soul. It feels good to accomplish learning something new, but it will also stimulate your brain as you put in the time, thought, and effort to understand a new concept.