substances + self esteem
Did you know that exercise is a treatment for addiction?
Unfortunately, 60% of people who find help for addiction end up relapsing within a year. Over and over again, addiction science shows that one thing helps: exercise! Here are three ways that an active lifestyle helps with recovery:
When people are sad, they turn to addiction. At its core, substance use is a bad coping mechanism, and exercise is an excellent alternative. Study after study has shown that exercise improves mood, increases endorphins, and generally makes life better.
Years of substance use wears down the brain and makes it harder to practice self-control and regulation. In response, exercise rebuilds the brain, actually making people smarter and more capable of discipline. A healthy brain practices healthy habits.
A huge reason people relapse into addiction is the withdrawal process - basically, when your body is deprived of a drug that it has used for so long, it starts to freak out. Withdrawal can look like anxiety, fatigue, and mood swings… all things that exercise can actually help to slow down!
Exercise is not the end all, be all to addiction, but it is a great helper to therapy, medication, and lifestyle changes. Also, it’s a great way to prevent substance abuse in the first place- maintaining an active lifestyle is truly one of the best ways to invest in yourself!
“Be careful how you are talking to yourself, because you are listening.” -Lisa M. Hayes
That little voice in your head is a compilation of every voice you have ever heard. The meanest people in your life, the kindest people in your life, the boldest people you’ve ever met, and the most apathetic people you’ve been around - they all come together to form the way that you talk to yourself. When you listen to that voice from a third person’s perspective, what do you hear?'
Is that voice being kind to you? Is it encouraging your dreams? Is that voice even telling the truth?
At the end of the day, that little voice in your head completely determines your self-esteem, and your self-esteem determines the way you show up in this world. As you age, you share more and more responsibility in what makes up your little voice; you can choose which friends you spend the most time with, what media you consume, and how you let others speak to you.
Take some time this week to consider who and what creates your little voice, because it controls who you get to be.
[Hey, I’m lydia, the founder of hungry hippie wellness. I make customized nutrition plans and exercise plans for long-term weight loss. I know that your health journey is personal, so I make sure to incorporate elements of motivation and mindset with every session. If this resonates with you, I offer one-on-one weight loss coaching and would love to partner with you!
This is my newsletter, the monday message, and it goes out (you guessed it!) every monday. It’s a space for me to share knowledge and encouragement with my community. Also, it’s a great example of my coaching philosophy… If you want all this good stuff directly in your inbox, hit the link to sign up below! Welcome to the hungry hippie family. i am so happy you’re here]
