Tips for Maintaining Healthy Relationships in Coronavirus Quarantine

Forced isolation with the same people for weeks on end has turned some households into a pressure cooker. Whether you live with housemates or family members, you may find minor annoyances magnified into a source of significant strife. How can you preserve your relationships and your mental well-being and emerge on the other side of COVID-19 quarantine stronger than ever?

Recognize Signs of Stress

It’s understandable if you’re finding your nerves a bit frayed lately. We are all living through a time of unparalleled anxiety, with no end in sight. If you feel yourself nearing a breaking point, stop and take a deep breath before you lash out at someone and say something hurtful you’ll later regret. Check in with your body’s cues – Is your heart rate elevated? Are you holding excess tension in any muscle groups? – and keep one or more relaxation techniques in your back pocket to turn to.

Clear the Air

Quarantine quarrels can quickly spiral out of control, leaving everyone involved feeling tense and on edge. It may be tempting to avoid difficult conversations to maintain harmony within your household, but shying away from issues is a surefire recipe for conflict down the road. If you’re feeling frustrated by something, verbalize it. Try to use “I” phrasing instead of “you” phrasing, so the other person doesn’t feel attacked. For example, you could say something like, “I feel like I’ve been doing more than my fair share of the housework lately, and it’s been frustrating.”

Seek Help When You Need It

If you’re overwhelmed and having trouble regulating your emotions, consider therapy to unpack your feelings and discover new, healthy coping strategies. In these challenging circumstances, there are many telehealth options such as online therapy to explore. Evidence suggests this option can be just as effective as seeing a counselor face to face, and it’s also safe because you won’t have to leave your home.

Protect Your Time and Space

Even the most outgoing people can benefit from having occasional time to be alone and focus on their thoughts. However, when you’re quarantined in a finite amount of space, you might start to feel like you never have a moment to yourself. You can combat this by creating boundaries, and encouraging housemates to do the same. For instance, you can set designated quiet times every day where everyone agrees to practice separate pursuits such as reading, meditating or napping. Or, choose how to divide rooms in your living space. Grant that a closed door automatically means “do not disturb,” or, if you lack a door, you can tack up a blanket or a bedsheet to make a barrier.

Cutting-Edge, Client-Centered Treatment

Even in a global pandemic, people struggling with substance misuse and co-occurring mental health disorders need to know there are safe places where they can seek help in a non-judgmental setting. At Complete Harmony, we are still focused on our mission of providing an alternative to traditional 12-step addiction recovery with a range of holistic options. Take the first step on your healing journey and contact us today.

Making Relaxation Part of Your Recovery

Learning to relax and let go of tension is an essential recovery skill for several reasons. Most notably, stress is a key relapse trigger for many people. When you allow stress to take over your life, it may tempt you to throw away all the progress you’ve made in your sobriety.

Due to the way addiction hijacks your brain chemistry to the point where you associate substance use as your only way to alleviate stress, it’s natural to have cravings when you feel overwhelmed. If you don’t take daily steps to recharge and relax, you can jeopardize your physical, mental and emotional health. With that in mind, here are five ways to relax in your recovery.

1. Exercise

Bringing exercise into a conversation about relaxation may seem counterintuitive. After all, vigorous physical activity is the opposite of being calm. However, regular exercise is one of the best ways you can bring relaxation into your life. Exercising helps release feel-good chemicals that regulate your emotions. It also encourages deeper and more restorative sleep, which gives your body and mind the opportunity to bounce back from the challenges of the day.

2. Meditate

Meditation is one of the most valuable practices you can learn in recovery. This ancient technique teaches practitioners to be more present in the moment, lending both a focus and a renewed sense of purpose to your life. Meditation is also a way to explore your emotions without fear of anyone judging you or detracting from your experience. When you make time to practice meditation regularly, you will learn how to recognize negative or self-destructive thoughts as they arise, then let them go when they threaten your well-being.

3. Practice Progressive Relaxation

Many people tend to unconsciously hold tension in major muscle groups such as their lower back, shoulders, neck and jawline. Progressive muscle relaxation can help you not only learn where you store tension in your body, but also to release it. With this technique, you focus on relaxing one body part at a time, only moving on after you have allowed it to release completely. Progressive muscle relaxation can be helpful if you are struggling with insomnia, or if you are having a difficult day and need to make time to de-stress.

4. Breathe Deeply

Your breath is linked to many other components of your body. By slowing your breathing, you are sending your brain a clear message to calm down. Your brain, in turn, can slow your heart rate. Whenever you need to relax, even if you only have a few minutes, slow and regular breathing can help you regain control of your emotions and rein in the tension. You can even try a visualization alongside your breathing, such as telling yourself you are inhaling positivity and exhaling negativity.

5. Go Outside

Spending time in nature is an excellent way to relax. The sights, sounds and smells of the great outdoors are not only a feast for the senses, but there’s something about being in the fresh air and sunshine that helps bring a heightened sense of clarity to any day. Whether you’re planning to go on a hike to get your blood pumping, or are merely spending a few minutes reading in a patch of sunlight, you are bringing yourself some serious stress-busting benefits.

Reward Yourself for the Progress You’ve Made

Maintaining your sobriety can be a daily challenge, but you should recognize how to incorporate your recovery goals into your lifestyle. The first step begins with enrolling in a treatment center that recognizes your needs and helps you regain your health with a holistic approach.

At Complete Harmony, we put success within your reach with our range of innovative treatment modalities that allow you to reestablish healthy patterns and become a well-rounded individual. Contact our admissions team to learn more about what we offer.

Relaxation Through Breathing

A big part of a successful recovery is having relaxation strategies that you can quickly turn to when you feel stressed or overwhelmed or to combat cravings or triggers. Deep breathing is a great go-to technique that you can do anytime, anywhere. And it’s been study-proven to have a host of benefits, including less anxiety and depression, more energy, improved sleep and better decision-making.

Learning to breathe deeply isn’t hard, but it does take a bit of practice. You can start with this breathing exercise recommended by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration:  

• Find a comfortable position in your chair. Close your eyes or gaze down at the floor. Take a few moments to settle yourself and sit quietly. 
• Deeply relax all your muscles. Begin with your feet, moving upward to your head. Let go of any tension you might have in your legs, stomach, hands and arms, shoulders, neck and face. 
• Become aware of your breathing. Pay attention to your breath as it enters and leaves your body. 
• Take a deep breath. Notice your lungs and chest expanding. Now slowly exhale through your nose. As you breathe out, say the word, "one" silently to yourself. 
• Again, take a deep breath. Fill your lungs and your chest. Notice how much air you can take in. Hold it for a second. Now release it and exhale slowly. 
• Inhale slowly and fully one more time. Hold it for a second, and release.
• Continue breathing in this way for another couple of minutes.
• With each inhalation and exhalation, you should feel your body becoming more and more relaxed. Use your breathing to wash away any remaining tension. 
• When you feel ready, open your eyes and ask yourself: How was that? Did you notice any new sensations while you were breathing? How do you feel now?

Relapse Prevention at Complete Harmony

Personal growth and relapse prevention is key for long-term recovery – and we're here to help. At Complete Harmony, our holistic treatment and relapse prevention plans provide a firm foundation for lifelong sobriety. To learn more, call: 866-930-4673.