The SEA's Tools for a Recovery Lifestyle

Coping with Stress in Recovery

Content:

Positive of coping with stress in recovery
Negative ways of coping with stress in recovery
Benefits of coping with stress in a healthy way in recovery
How to recognize in recovery if you are coping with stress in a positive healthy way

Positive of coping with stress in recovery

People can cope with stress while in recovery in a variety of positive ways, such as these. Which one of theses can You use in your recovery efforts?

Exercise: aerobic exercise, walking, swimming, dancing

Stress-reduction Activities: stretching, progressive muscle relaxation, breathing, self-hypnosis, yoga

Mental Relaxation Techniques: meditation, centering, clearing mind, imagination, visual imagery

Spirituality: prayer, worship, Bible, Koran or other Holy book reading, letting go and letting God, valuing, commitment, one day at a time

Recreational Diversions: music, hobbies, movies, theater, reading, cards, sewing

Interpersonal Relationship Enhancement: affirmation, networking, assertiveness, setting limits, creating supportive structures, expressions of love, affection, and concern

Problem Solving: time management, brainstorming, priority setting, rational thinking, thought stopping, re‑labeling, organizing, and planning

Family Life Skills: esteem building, conflict resolution, togetherness, support, positive reinforcement

Intellectual Practices: learning new concepts, learning new behavior patterns and attitudes, developing new insights, making subjective data objective, creating new generalizations and rules based on a reasonable analysis of data

Sense of Humor: putting things into perspective, lightening up, reducing the intensity, having fun, joking, clowning around, being a little kid again

Negative ways of coping with stress in recovery

People cope with stress in a variety of negative ways, such as these. Which of these have you used prior to your efforts in recovery.

Impulsive Behavior: acting before thinking about consequences, binging, continually getting into trouble

Compulsive Behavior: addictive-like behavior that gets out of control and results in overindulging, alcoholism, workaholism, drug abuse, excessive eating, smoking, shopping, sex, gambling

Obsessive Behavior: meticulous-like behavior that you find the need to repeat over and over again, picky picky, neat freak, overly organized, rigid thinking, inflexible

Vindictive Behavior: seeking revenge for real or imagined hurts or offenses, conniving, stubborn

Blaming Behavior: laying the blame for problems on others, fault finding, overly critical

Worrying: anxious, tense, keeping problem in constant focus, not being able to let go of it, mulling over the problem in your mind

Anger: having temper tantrums, ventilating hostility, using sarcasm, cynicism, screaming

Withdrawn Behavior: denial of problem, passivity in face of stress, pulling away, isolation

Depressed Behavior: weepy or tearful, blue, despairing, guilty, downcast, lethargic

Illness: real or psychosomatic illnesses, headaches, back pain, muscle tension, gastrointestinal problems, hypertension, diabetes. There are many illnesses related to stress, some terminal.

Benefits of coping with stress in a healthy way in recovery

When you cope with stress while in recovery in a healthy, positive way, you can experience:

A sense of accomplishment.
Enhancement of self-esteem.
Improved interpersonal relationships.
Improved physical health.
A clear mind.
Less anxiety.
A feeling of being in control of your life.
A sense of being centered, focused, and "on target'' in life.
Peace and harmony, a sense of good will for and from others.
A reduction of the emotional cues that lead to impulsive or compulsive habits.
A sense of mastery over your life's obstacles.

How to recognize in recovery if you are coping with stress in a positive healthy way

You will know you are coping with stress in a healthy way in recovery when you can:

Monitor your body's physical response to stress and learn to return to a relaxed state after the stressor has been confronted.
Learn to "let go'' of the stressors giving each one less and less power.
Relax and calmly problem solve a stressor or crisis event.
Measure the level of mastery or control you are able to maintain in your life.
Look at your success in maintaining healthy interpersonal relationships.
Review how stable your relationships are with your spouse, family members, or the significant others in your life.
Maintain a healthy level of productivity at work, which results in a sense of satisfaction and little or no anxiety.
Enjoy your current recovery lifestyle without undue worry.

NOTE: For more information on handling stress, look at Stress Reduction and Preventing Burnout in Tools for Personal Growth.

Coping.org is a Public Service of James J. Messina, Ph.D. & Constance M. Messina, Ph.D., Email: jjmess@tampabay.rr.com ©1999-2007 James J. Messina, Ph.D. & Constance Messina, Ph.D. Note: Original materials on this site may be reproduced for your personal, educational, or noncommercial use as long as you credit the authors and website.