Finding Stillness Through The Chaos
Imagine you’re on a sunny, sandy beach, with your toes in the water as you sit in your beach chair reading your favorite book. Sounds like a great day, right? Well, except for that never-ending wind blowing through the air and scattering your pages as you try to read peacefully, making relaxation feel impossible! You’re getting increasingly frustrated that you can’t enjoy the peace because of the pesky distraction of the wind in the pages. In today’s world, that is just one of a thousand distractions that we experience daily, and finding focus and clarity in those frustrating moments can feel like a tall order. For those seeking treatment in an IOP program, like at Centered Recovery, many of those individuals feel that chaos and distraction internally, causing mental health or substance use concerns.
But, what if you were able to experience pure stillness in your mind? What if you could concentrate and focus without being overcome by emotions? That is exactly why mindfulness in an IOP program is such a valuable tool. By focusing on helping clients can have greater clarity and the ability to focus on the present, mental fog and frustration start to fade into the wind, just like at the beach.
Digging into the Neuroscience of Mindfulness
Mindfulness isn’t just a trend – it’s a way of living that has been rigorously studied and supported. Mindfulness is a practice that can truly help to cultivate a sharper, clearer mind that enhances your recovery and mental well-being. So how does this relate to addiction recovery? Mindfulness meditation has been shown to strengthen neural connections and increase neuroplasticity, which is basically how well the brain can rewire itself and adapt to new things. That means when going through a transitional period between active addiction to abstinence, meditation can help to rewire the brain’s pathways to improve your recovery! And that’s just medication – mindfulness as a whole is much more than that.
To break it down a bit further, substance use and mental health disorders can impair decision-making, concentration, emotional regulation, and a bunch of other cognitive abilities. Through mindfulness, individuals can start to plant seeds in those regions of the brain, like a gardener, to promote resiliency and new thought patterns. It’s also been shown through various studies that mindfulness-based interventions reduce cravings and impulsive actions by increasing activity in the prefrontal cortex, which helps focus, judgment, and self-control. Think of mindfulness as filling up your mental toolbox so that you can navigate these challenges with greater clarity and intention.
Clearing the Muddy Waters in an IOP Program
Let’s paint another picture here for a minute – imagine your mind a can of soda. When it’s all shaken up with stress, trauma, addiction, and other concerns, it explodes. Soda goes everywhere! And now the floor is sticky, your shirt is stained, and you’ve got to clean up this mess. Everything becomes muddy and your ability to think is clouded. However, mindfulness is like when the soda settles and you can enjoy the crispy bubbles without worry. Things are still and your thoughts are clear.
When entering an IOP program such as Centered Recovery, we focus on mindfulness practice as part of our daily interventions to help clear those muddy waters in our minds. Practices such as breathwork, body scans, and meditation help teach our clients how to be in the present, observe their thoughts without judgment, and let them go. The profound impacts that mindfulness can have in lowering anxiety while increasing focus and clarity have turned life upside down for our clients in the best way possible. No more shaken soda!
Increasing Focus with Mindful Practices
In case you are a beginner to mindfulness practices, let’s go over a few in-depth to help you get started in your mindful journey!
Mindful Breathing & Breathwork
Mindful breathing is your anchor to the present moment. We are constantly breathing (obviously!), but our breath is often overlooked. During mindfulness practices, the breath is the tether to the present, and in an IOP program, that practice is invaluable.
Whether you might be facing an overwhelming craving or spiraling emotions, mindful breathing allows you to focus on something else. By staying with the rhythm of inhaling and exhaling, you can interrupt your automatic responses and regain control of the moment. Think of it as hitting a pause button in the middle of a chaotic movie and all the lights and sounds halt. Mindful breathing gives you the space to choose your next move with thought and intention.
Body Scans
Another mindfulness practice is a body scan which is when you focus intentionally on different parts of the body and notice physical sensations without judgment. Body scans deepen the connection between the mind and body, which is commonly lost when dealing with trauma or addiction. In an IOP program like Centered Recovery, clients participate in regular body scans to bring awareness to where they hold tension or discomfort physically. By acknowledging and releasing that tension, our clients improve their ability to focus as well as introduce more clarity and calmness into their daily lives.
Meditation & Guided Imagery
Visualization practices are another commonly used tool in a mindfulness-based IOP program. These practices involve picturing calm and empowering scenes in your mind. Whether that’s a serene landscape or visualizing overcoming a personal challenge, these practices train the mind to see the positive. Practices like these can be extremely powerful for those who struggle with intrusive thoughts or negative self-talk. By replacing the unhelpful mental scripts with narratives of resiliency and strength, clients can focus better without the mental dog of doubt.
Clarity is a Byproduct of Awareness
Mindfulness is not about emptying your mind and having no thoughts – it would be called mindlessness if it were about that! On the flip side, mindfulness is about becoming truly aware of the mind’s content. Whether that means more awareness of self or more awareness of others and surroundings, there is a sense of clarity that blossoms. You can begin to see people, situations, emotions, and thoughts for what they are without distorting them, judging them, or trying to change them.
Mindfulness in an IOP program helps clients learn the difference between a moment of craving compared to genuine needs. Learning to see the clarity and open the curtains of your mind is vital to recovery efforts to address the root causes of why struggles are happening. Oftentimes, without this clarity, individuals tend to “white-knuckle” through their struggles. Ultimately, flying blind and hoping for the best. One is like a shadow that lingers and follows everything you do, everywhere you go. The other is like a storm cloud, and it simply passes.
Practical Applications of Mindfulness in an IOP Program
Mindfulness practices in an IOP program are used in a variety of ways! Including the practices listed earlier, there are a ton of other avenues to explore to increase mindfulness for focus and clarity. Some clients prefer methods like mindful journaling to be more intentional with their thoughts and reflect on their insights during their program. Others may prefer mindful movement such as recovery yoga, nature walks, or gentle stretching to strengthen the mind-body connection. Regardless of the practice that you find to be most helpful, mindfulness practices in an IOP program are endlessly beneficial!
The Impact of Focus and Clarity During The Storm
The impact that mindfulness has on focus and clarity extends beyond an IOP program and truly becomes a lifestyle change. These practices build a foundation during this transformational period to respond rather than react, manage stress intentionally, and cultivate peace and purpose. For those struggling with addiction or mental health, mindfulness is a guide to calmer, smoother waters. By improving clarity and focus, mindfulness allows our IOP clients to regain control of their lives. Next time you feel overwhelmed, unfocused, or stuck in a mental fog remember that the answers you seek are already within you. All you need to remember to do is pause and breathe.
Mindfulness-Based IOP Program at Centered Recovery
Centered utilizes a mindfulness-based program, which has been proven to provide lasting results following treatment. Our therapies focus on teaching skills that allow you to be more aware of the present moment. Additionally, these techniques serve to help you feel more acceptance towards experiences you have encountered. The goal of mindful recovery is to foster a non-judgmental attitude towards thoughts, emotions, or sensations you may be feeling and experiencing.
At Centered Recovery, we utilize holistic methods to improve mental, emotional, and physical functioning through the use of mindfulness-based recovery practices. Here, you will be exposed to various practices such as meditation, sound therapy, art therapy, breathwork, yoga, and more! These practices allow you to approach yourself with more compassion and understanding! Ultimately, this is a key component in the success of your recovery journey. At Centered, you will experience a structured, professionally led program that revolves around accountability and connection with others.
Contact Centered Recovery Today
Centered Recovery Programs, located in the heart of Roswell, Georgia, is a mindfulness-based outpatient drug and alcohol rehab treatment program. When choosing the best drug and alcohol treatment program, keeping all these different aspects in mind is essential. Our staff will always tailor your treatment to your needs and goals for the future!
Whether you prefer to attend treatment in person or need virtual telehealth services, we can help! Centered Recovery has been providing meaningful, quality care to Georgia residents since 2017, and we have the most Google Reviews of any treatment provider in the state–all five stars!
If you have been considering a guided alcohol and drug rehab, or you have been struggling with mild mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, overwhelming stress, or burnout issues, and would like to understand the difference that a mindfulness-based program can make, please give us a call at 800-556-2966 to speak to one of our Admissions Team counselors today!