Link Between Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation

Learning to be more mindful – or paying attention on purpose without judgement – has been found to be a vital tool in emotional control. This is because mindfulness can help prevent you from simply reacting without considering any consequences.

"Being aware of physical sensations, thoughts and emotions – both pleasant and unpleasant –can help us choose how to respond, rather than simply react," Dr. Timothy Riley, an assistant professor in the family and community medicine department at Penn State Health, said in a news release.

This is an especially helpful skill for people in recovery, who need to ride out cravings and gain greater control of negative emotions.

Riley offered an example of how mindfulness can help in an everyday situation: You see a cookie at Starbucks and want the cookie, he explained. Then you may become guilty for wanting the cookie. If you're mindful, however, you notice the cookie and are aware of your emotional response – and you can let it be without judgment, Riley added.

"It puts you in this observer stance where we can witness what is happening without getting wrapped up in it," he said. "It gives you a bit of space."

In other words, being mindful allows us to sit back and think whether or not it’s wise to buy the cookie and why we really want the cookie. Is it because of hunger or are you looking to fill another void? It also helps quell your inner child, who may feel like screaming, yelling, crying or throwing a fit because she can't have that cookie.

This might seem simple but being more mindful is something we all need to work on daily. Luckily, a little bit of practice goes a long way.

Helping You Become More Mindful in Recovery
Meditation is a great way to strengthen your mindfulness muscle so you’ll find it much easier to become present throughout the day. At Complete Harmony, we encourage the use of many different cutting-edge techniques to help clients heal the mind, body and spirit, including mediation. To learn more about our treatment center and our approach to addiction recovery, call today: 866-930-4673.

Could a Mindfulness App Help Your Recovery?

Mindfulness mediation is more than just a hot trend but a core part of lasting sobriety. As we’ve discussed in the past, this ancient practice can help you experience each moment of life – the good and the bad – without judgment or preconceived notions. The result: less stress, anxiety and depression and more self-esteem and enthusiasm for life.

With all of the mental health benefits of mindfulness, it’s not too surprising that more and more companies are developing mindfulness apps. Certainly an app can never replace professional counseling, but it could be a helpful tool once you’ve completed your primary or residential addiction treatment. It’s something you can turn to 24-7 to ease anxiety and manage stress.  

With so many apps on the market, how do you know which to choose? Ask yourself why the app would be helpful and how it will help you. For example, if it’s for stress, then which features help reduce stress? It’s also important to make sure any claims are backed by studies. Before downloading an app, talk to your addiction counselor or therapist to make sure the app aligns with your individual recovery goals. 

Here are three science-backed meditation apps touted by numerous health professionals:

Insight Timer: Thousands of guided meditations and talks by top mindfulness experts, neuroscientists, psychologists and meditation teachers 

• Discussion groups and community features
• Stats and milestones for tracking your progress
• The world's most popular meditation Timer
• Follow your favorite teachers
• Music tracks from world-renowned artists

Calm: Guided meditation sessions available in lengths of 3, 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25 minutes

• Daily calm: a new 10-minute program to help ease you into the day or unwind with before bed
• Sleep stories: adult bedtime stories to lull you to sleep
• 7-day and 21-day programs for both beginner and advanced users
• Breathing exercises 
• Unguided timed meditation
• Open-ended meditation
• 25+ soothing nature sounds and scenes 

Aura: Daily science-backed and personalized mindfulness meditation exercises

• Meditations specifically created for your feelings 
• Track your mood to learn about your mood patterns
• Daily reminders for mindful breathers and meditations
• Daily reflections to make gratitude a habit 
• Various relaxation sounds and music for unguided meditations before sleep 

Finding Peace at Complete Harmony

At Complete Harmony, we encourage the use of many different cutting-edge techniques to help clients heal the mind, body and spirit, including mediation. To learn more about our treatment center and our approach to addiction recovery, call today: 866-930-4673.

Study: Could Mindfulness Meditation Prevent Major Depression?

By now you’re likely familiar with the fact that depression and addiction often go hand and hand – you or someone you love may even be suffering from both. But what if we told you that mindfulness mediation could help prevent major depression? Well, that’s what researchers set out to prove in a new study published in the Annals of Family Medicine. 

For the study, researchers selected 231 adults with subclinical depression, which is defined as the presence of depressive symptoms that are not yet severe or persistent enough to warrant a diagnosis of major depressive disorder (MDD), according to researchers. The study participants were split into two groups: The first group took part in a two-hour mindfulness mediation session once a week for 8 weeks; the second group received usual care. The patients were recruited from 16 outpatient clinics in Hong Kong. 

The results: The mindfulness meditation group showed fewer depressive symptoms – MDD was diagnosed in 10.8 percent compared to 26.8 percent in the usual care group. 

What Is Mindfulness Mediation and How Can it Help Your Recovery?

Mindful meditation is a psychological practice that helps us to be “fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us,” according to Mindful.org. Another definition: It helps give us a necessary pause so we approach daily life with warmth and kindness – not judgment – toward ourselves and toward others. 

Being more mindful can certainly help your recovery. For one, it will prevent negative thoughts, feelings and emotions from distracting you or interfering with lasting sobriety. Here are a few more of the study-proven benefits: 

• Better emotional control
• Less anxiety 
• Reduced anger and increased compassion
• Greater self-awareness
• Improved focus and impulse control
• Deeper spiritual connection

Finding Holistic Treatment for You

At Complete Harmony, we encourage the use of many different cutting-edge techniques to help clients heal the mind, body and spirit, including mediation. To learn more about our treatment center and our approach to addiction recovery, call today: 866-930-4673.

5 Ways Meditation Makes You a Better Person

When it comes to recovering from addiction, meditation can be a great tool to help you mentally push away any cravings for alcohol or drugs or another addiction behavior. But the benefits of this mindfulness technique go beyond staying sober. In fact, daily meditation practice not only helps with recovery, but it can also make the new sober you a better person with a more meaningful and joyful life. Here’s how:

1. You’ll have more self-compassion. Meditation teaches you to recognize and then let go any feelings of doubt or frustration as you go through the ups and downs, successes and failures of life. The result: You’ll be more caring and supportive of yourself on your recovery journey.
2. You’ll be better equipped to handle stress. Do you ever find yourself feeling out of breath or forgetting to breathe when a situation is particularly anxiety provoking? This is pretty normal. The good news: Controlled breathing can help you quell those nerves when you need it most. 
3. You’ll be less angry. Meditation is the perfect remedy for releasing any feelings of anger or resentment – toward yourself and toward others. 
4. You’ll be more forgiving. Meditation helps you learn forgiveness by developing your ability to be compassionate and empathetic. It also teaches you how to heal old wounds, clear mental blocks and manage any past trauma, which are all important parts of forgiveness.
5. You’ll be more self-aware. Self-awareness allows you to better identify what your body, mind and spirit is craving in order for you to live a well-rounded life. The best way to do this is to quiet your mind using meditation. 

Holistic Addiction Treatment  
Complete Harmony offers an evidence-based blend of holistic modalities, alternative rehab approaches and mindfulness practices. We customize care to your personal objectives, religious beliefs and health considerations to help you achieve personal sobriety goals. To learn more, call 866-930-4673.

Meditate Your Way To a Better Recovery

Meditation, which has already been recognized as a means to reduce stress, blood pressure, and fatigue, is also an important part of an addiction recovery plan.

An integral part of Buddhist tradition, mindfulness meditation focuses on bringing your attention to the present moment — whether you’re cooking dinner or taking a shower. Having a heightened awareness of the here and now allows you to put aside thoughts of past and future.

It makes sense then that this type of meditation can help keep you more centered and motivated so you can focus on your present task at hand – to overcome your addiction and stay sober for the long haul. It has been shown to help with decision-making, impulse-control, and self care, among other recovery essentials.

How Mindfulness Helps Overcome Addiction
Here we take a closer look at how practicing mindfulness meditation can help your recovery:

Stress: You’ll learn to slow breathing, calm anxiety, and relieve tension – and better cope with the inevitable stressors that threaten sobriety.

Cravings: You’ll learn to respond to any cravings with awareness, not to react automatically.

Triggers: You’ll learn to better recognize any patterns in your behavior, including triggers for relapse. Mindfulness will also help you improve the part of your short-term memory responsible for managing information and controlling emotions.

Self-criticism and blame: You’ll learn how to practice nonjudgmental acceptance of moment-to-moment thoughts.

And, perhaps, the best part: Making meditation part of your recovery plan doesn’t require a huge time commitment — studies show that as little as 15 minutes per day has big health payoffs.

Holistic Addiction Treatment  
Complete Harmony offers an evidence-based blend of holistic modalities, alternative rehab approaches, and mindfulness practices. We customizing care to your personal objectives, religious beliefs, and health considerations, and help you achieve personal sobriety goals within the safe, beautiful confines of our seaside retreat. To learn more, call 866-930-4673.