When you are struggling with addiction and mental illness, you might be stuck in your head. You may have a difficult time getting out of your own thinking. You may feel overwhelmed by your own thoughts or distressed by what you are feeling. While you’re in recovery, you may need to learn to get out of your head to focus on your life. Overthinking can put you into an endless loop of unhelpful thought patterns, leaving you locked inside your mind. When you engage in diversionary activities, you can find a new focus outside of your head to cultivate a positive mindset in recovery.
Diversionary activities are anything that you do that keeps your mind occupied. When trapped in your own thoughts, you can start to feel worn down or even more anxious. Diversionary activities can help you get your anxious energy out into the world and help you clear your mind. You can try things like:
- Listening to music
- Puzzles
- Drawing
- Woodwork
- Reading
- Crosswords or sudoku
- Crafts
- Exercise
- Going for a walk
- Writing
- Learning a musical instrument
- Any new thing you want to try!
A huge component of recovery is getting out of your head and engaged in your life. Part of recovery involves learning how to stop overthinking and start living. When you engage in an activity to “get your mind off of things,” you are not ignoring your issues or denying them. You are giving your brain a break to rest and re-focus. Thinking too much about one thing can burn you out, leaving you unable to focus on finding positive solutions. When you feel overwhelmed with thoughts, get out of your head, and try something new!
Diversionary activities can be simple activities that get you out of your head. You may be dealing with overwhelming thoughts that are keeping you locked inside your own head. Overthinking might burn you out or lead to more stress in your life. You may need a break and feel unable to get out of your head. By finding something to focus on that is tangible and in the outside world, you can get out of your head and get a break from overthinking. Try something new, like reading a book, writing, drawing, going for a walk, playing a sport, or anything else you would like to try. You can find new hobbies that can have a tremendous benefit on your mental health. If you are dealing with addiction and an underlying mental health issue, you may need treatment to live the life you deserve. Alta Loma is here for you; call us at (866) 457-3843 today!
