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If you haven’t realized this by now, our moods tend to hold some pretty heavy weight when it comes to how we navigate daily life. A good mood versus a bad mood could yield in extremely different experiences - that is, unless, we know how to manage our emotions effectively. Even the most stressed individual could essentially channel positive energy towards the present moment, giving them strength even the most upsetting of situations.  Tiny Buddha, a website that publishes information related to love and relationships, healthy habits, letting go, meaning and passion, and more, recently published an article related to this exact topic; the writer described energy as: “...Anything that evokes a reaction inside you. In other words, anything that makes you tick, ponder, feel or react. Energy comes to us in different forms. The chair you’re sitting on, the music you’re listening to, or the book you just finished reading, all provoke some sort of reaction within you.” Energy can be positive or negative for us, inciting feelings of rage or annoyance all the way to utter joy and gratefulness. A lot of it depends on how we choose to translate the situations and messages being sent to us, and it also depends on how we choose to live our lives. If you’re wanting to harbor more positive energy on a daily basis, consider incorporating more of the following holistic activities that are absolutely wonderful for your mind, body and spirit:

Emotions run deep, yet our society doesn’t always place much emphasis on talking about them. From a young age, we’re told to “suck it up” to “keep our chin up” and to otherwise keep everything tucked away so that everything seems fine. This is rarely the case, however, as we all going through troubles every now and then. In these instances, holding it in can actually be horrible for our health; just last year, Time Magazine explained that emotional stress,  “...like that blocked from emotions, has not only been linked to mental illness, but also to physical problems like heart disease, intestinal problems, headaches, insomnia, and autoimmune disorders.” In other words, there’s much more to holding in emotions than simply not “seeing” them. In order to avoid some of the harsh consequences that this avoidance can have on the mind, body, and spirit, consider using music to open up those emotional pathways. A 2015 study called “Music and Emotion” confirmed that not only does music have the capabilities to evoke intense emotions such as sadness, nostalgia, tension, relaxation, and pure joy, it also influences the production of dopamine, the “feel-good” chemical, in a healthy way.  Of course, it’s important to utilize music in a healthy way, rather than listening to songs that could send you into a spiral of depression or anxiety. A 2017 study published by Frontiers in Psychology found that even being musically inclined can improve a person’s emotional ability - for example, a person who plays a musical instrument or enjoys singing can greater tell the emotions of others through music. In turn, a greater connection can be built - but even those who aren’t musically inclined will find that they’re able to relate to a beat, a musical composition or a message that’s being conveyed through the songs they’re listening to.  The next time you’re feeling down, either play a soothing song to ground you or play a sad song to help you feel the emotions. Just be sure to manage your emotions in a healthy way - and if you find yourself turning destructive, speak with your therapist right away.

Everyone in recovery can benefit from having people in their recovery network to learn and grow from; just as a student may speak with a graduated alumni from a college program to receive tips and tricks for succeeded in school, this connection can foster a healthy, ongoing interaction of support between people. A 2016 study titled, “Implementation of a Substance Use Recovery Support Mobile Phone App in Community Settings” found that alumni of addiction recovery treatment can help build awareness and interest to various components of recovery – and recovery tools, such as through mobile apps, can become more accessible to those beginning their recovery journey when they’ve been given the opportunity to learn from alumni.

Earlier this year, website Happier Human, which posts articles related to happiness, health and overall wellbeing, explained that gratitude is a sense of feeling happy – which stems from appreciation. When we’re feeling more grateful, we’re likely to be in a better mood and to experience more positive emotions: Gilbert K. Chesterton once stated, “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” Gratitude is a powerful force for many in recovery because it’s all about acknowledging the people, places, circumstances, thoughts, emotions, and otherwise series of events that have led us to where we’re at today. When we express gratitude, we send out positivity into the world – and rather than expecting to have received help from someone, or from assuming that we deserve everything that comes our way, we acknowledge all of the life forces that have come together to get us to where we’re currently at in life.

In a sense, we all develop some form of dependency at one point or another; whether we expect it or not, we become entrenched in a relationship, a career, shopping, eating, or a different hobby – and if we’re not careful, we may find ourselves planning our lives around these events in an unhealthy way. We all must rely on things like our relationships or our career, but in healthy ways; it becomes dangerous when our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors transform because of them. The first step to developing a new lifestyle after drug dependency is to remember that it will feel uncomfortable for a little while, and that patience is key. In 2016, The Health Journals stated, “The good news is that the brain can be made to re-adapt to life without addiction. But coming clean can require extraordinary patience and perseverance…as well as support, accountability and medical intervention for the person addicted.” Luckily, there are so many holistic recovery-related activities that a person can fill their time with to help them get readjusted. Volunteering, picking up a new hobby, meditation, yoga, art therapy, attending support groups and spending time with a healthy friend or family member are a few great ways to developing a fresh lifestyle based on sobriety. Secondly, continuously work on building an internal (mind) script of positivity and inspiration. A few years ago, writer Katherine Davis shared her sobriety experience via the Huffington Post; she explained that despite the emotional rollercoaster she went through, she tried to stay focused on what her goals and dreams were. She asked herself, “What steps can you take today to accomplish these?”  Thinking positively and reassuring yourself that you are doing exactly what you need to be doing can serve as a beautiful foundation for a strong recovery. Lastly, understand and accept your mistakes. Part of being human is making mistakes and, as we make them, we grow and become better. Recognize that mistakes are inevitable, but as long as we take it day by day, that’s what matters. If you’re ready to begin your holistic journey, speak with a professional from Avalon Malibu today.

Mindfulness is the practice of staying grounded, aware of one’s surroundings and what they are doing, and not feeling overwhelmed or over-reactive about what’s happening in their environment. Mindfulness can help greatly with addiction recovery because it opens mental space for the development of tools to be used in stressful situations and to better work through challenging thoughts and feelings. For example, mindfulness has been used in cognitive-behavioral therapy and has helped individuals with anger, anxiety and circumstances that could increase a person’s risk for relapse.

Addiction is a complex brain disease, and neuroscience can open up many pathways for understanding as we dive further into it. Last year, Medical News Today, a website that publishes information related to various health conditions, explained that neuroscientists “focus on the brain and its impact on behavior and cognitive functions, or how people think.” There are a wide range of research interests within neuroscience, such as: mathematics, science, chemistry, philosophy, psychology and medicine. With neuroscience, a number of aspects of nervous system are explored:

Opioid addiction takes the lives of nearly 130 people each and every day within the United States; it’s a serious national crisis that has destroyed families, costed companies nearly $80 billion dollars a year, and has holistically left serious social and economic consequences. In an attempt to combat these harsh effects of the opioid epidemic, researchers have been challenging themselves to find preventative measures; tools and resources to help those in our communities seek help before the addiction becomes more severe, or greater support and outlets once people need treatment.  Earlier this year, Georgia Tech published an article that covered a study conducted by researchers – this study sought to assess 1.44 million comments from Reddit, a popular posting platform, to explore some potential risk factors that give insight into opioid addiction itself. The researchers found 3 particular opioids that were “most commonly used”, including:

The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies states that trauma is: “…Used to describe negative events that are emotionally painful and that overwhelm a person’s ability to cope.” Healing from trauma is incredibly challenging, but it is often the time spent to restore and rejuvenate from these devastating events that make us stronger in the long run. It’s not uncommon for those in addiction recovery to have previously experienced childhood trauma, and these deep-rooted issues may even be what has sparked a long road of substance abuse - in an attempt to ease the painful feelings that came in as the aftermath of these events.

Massage is something that most Americans seek out on a weekly basis – stress, anxiety, and feelings of overwhelm have the potential to hold us back in our daily lives, but massage opens up the realm for relaxation and breathing. Despite its general benefit for public use, massage therapy is also incredibly beneficial for those in addiction recovery; the American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) recently highlighted the beautiful journey of a man who was battling alcoholism but found restoration in massage therapy. As his massage therapy sessions continued, he began to realize that the pain he’d been battling emotionally was being kept up inside of his body – and that was only provoking stiff muscles.  Jennifer Broadwell, DOM, ADS and acupuncturist, stated, “We live in a culture that doesn’t do a good job teaching anyone how to relax, both physically and mentally.”  The emotional dissociation that many people experience often tends to come out in other, more subtle areas of a person’s life: such as through financial difficulties, muscle tension, eating unhealthy foods, experiencing troubles in relationships, substance abuse and more. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Medicine notes that massage therapy can be used to help treat a number of conditions, such as:

Motivational enhancement therapy (MET) is a therapy approach that helps people who are feeling ambivalent about moving forward in treatment find some solidarity and explore their options. This approach is generally for people who aren’t quite sure of the benefits for why they should move forward – but the underlying mechanism behind MET is the aim to spark internal motivation for change. There are several components to this approach, but, when done successfully, a person can become more engaged with their program because they’ve personally chosen to move forward rather than feeling coerced into it.  The American Counseling Association (ACA) expresses that MET is not only brief, but it’s not grounded in direct persuasion. People who are unsure of whether or not to move forward in recovery likely won’t benefit from hearing straight-forward, persuasive statements – rather, they’d like to weigh out their options and consider the costs and benefits of each decision they could choose. In many instances, MET is considered based on a partnership between the client and therapist; by working together and engaging in discussions, clients can fully consider their options while not feeling threatened.

Have you or someone you love ever grabbed an alcoholic drink while saying something along the lines of, “I’m stressed”, “I’m depressed”, or “I feel on top of the world!”? We don’t realize it in these minute instances, but our mood can directly affect the way we think about drinking as well as how much we actually drink. Conversely, the type of alcohol we drink – and how much – can have a direct affect on our mood. In 2017, Medical News Today, a website that publishes information related to a variety of health conditions, explained that beer, wine and spirits can all have different effects on us; so, in other words, if you find yourself more aggressive after drinking spirits, you’re not alone. Professor Mark Bellis from the King’s College London noted a study that confirmed the effect that liquor can have on our mood and explained: “For centuries, the history of rum, gin, vodka, and other spirits have been laced with violence. This global study suggests even today consuming spirits is more likely to result in feelings of aggression than other drinks.”