The Heartland Heartbeat – February Edition

A new family night addition:
Family game night!

We were able to run a Jeopardy-style game night for Family Night participants in the month of January. Topics covered Circle of Control, Boundaries, and Core Values, all of which were discussed in previous Family Nights. The response was great and seeing our teams work together was a blast! Thank you for showing us that we can get creative with how we present information. We had so much fun that the game night theme will be coming back each and every month so we can quiz participants and have some sober fun with you all!

Niko, Jenn B, Greg, and Dustin leading our family night!

February is the month of love, so what more perfect time to talk about the importance of self-care!

What is self-care?

Though self-care conjures thoughts of face masks and nail polish, there is more to taking care of yourself than just what you might see on your timeline.

Self-care is defined as an activity we do on purpose to take care of our mental, emotional, and physical health. Self-care can minimize anxiety, improve mood, and connect us to ourselves again.

Because active addiction is a form of self-abuse and creates negative coping mechanisms for the stresses and challenges of everyday life, it results in self-harm.

On the other hand, self-care is about rewiring those coping mechanisms in healthy ways that are kind to our minds and bodies. It is the opposite expression.

Taking the time to prioritize and care for yourself is a way to practice self-love and creates better self worth, self-esteem, and mental wellbeing.

How to practice self-care:

1. Take time for self-reflection
Check in with yourself at the start and end of each day. To expand your reflection, keep a journal to record your thoughts, feelings, emotions, and gratitudes.

2. Set Boundaries
Learning to set boundaries is a key part of protecting your sobriety, which makes it one of the most important act of self-care you will practice. They can come in many forms: some are physical, like leaving a situation which risks your sobriety, and some are mental or emotional, such as telling someone when something doesn’t feel right.

3. Practice Mindfulness

By always living in the future or ruminating on our past, we often are unable to live in the “now”. Though it may be hard in the beginning, learning how to stay present in each moment is a great tool for people who are in recovery.

4. Get outside
Studies show that being in nature improves mood and can reduce stress. The best part is that it’s a free way to meet friends, curb cravings, and get some fresh air!

Other self-care ideas

Connect with others in recovery
Set a timer for 10 minutes + clean your
space
Declutter your closet + donate unwanted
items

Write a list of things you like about yourself, keep it somewhere you can see daily
Go to bed early or find a day to sleep in
Get lost in a book
Have a DIY spa day at home

We hope you spend some time this month loving YOU and taking care of yourself! What kind of new self-care ideas will you be adding to your routine?

With purpose and passion,