In a world where we’re encouraged to work hard and keep our heads down, it can be easy to forget about the joy of doing things just for fun. When we start the recovery journey, we have to say goodbye to many of our old habits and ways of socializing. While this is a difficult process, it’s also exciting, as we have the chance to reinvent ourselves and enjoy new hobbies. It’s also a chance to reconnect with old hobbies that were lost to our addictions. So, why are hobbies so important?
Hobbies Increase Happiness
Plain and simple: Hobbies make us happier. When we’re engaging in an activity, whether it’s bowling, running, playing a sport, or singing, we’re doing it just because we want to. This allows us to enter a playful and more joyous mentality and escape the daily grind.
Hobbies Increase Self-Esteem
Hobbies increase confidence and self-esteem, as there is often some level of skill and learning involved. Anytime you’re increasing your knowledge and level of skill, you have the opportunity to up your overall confidence.
New Skills, New Knowledge
Hobbies increase your knowledge base and keep you interested and interesting. They’re also a great way to increase self-knowledge, as you have to decide what you like. Sometimes when we start recovery, it’s hard to even remember what brought us joy before substances entered our lives. Gaining self-knowledge is one of the most important gifts to cultivate in recovery. If you’re having trouble figuring out what brings you joy, try thinking back to when you were younger. Did you jump rope? Play board games? The possibilities are infinite.
Avoid Boredom and Bad Habits
Perhaps most importantly in early recovery, positive and uplifting hobbies can help us stave off boredom and keep us away from bad habits and negative thought patterns.
Tree House Recovery of Orange County, California is a premiere men’s addiction treatment facility that uses eight different modalities to help our men become the best versions of themselves they can be. We teach our men that every day of their journey is something to celebrate and that recovery isn’t a sprint– it’s a marathon. To get started with Tree House Recovery, call us today at (855) 202-2138