Volunteering Your Time This Spring

Spring is almost here and it’s a great time to grow your altruistic spirit and brighten someone else’s day by volunteering. National Volunteer Week (April 7-13) and Earth Day (April 22) are also right around the corner, so the timing couldn’t be better to give back to your community.

What’s more, as the weather warms up and the days get longer, you may find yourself looking for things to do to occupy your time in a healthy way.

How Volunteering Helps

Before we talk about the many ways you can donate your time this season, let’s talk about the numerous benefits of volunteering for your recovery and your overall health. Have you heard of the phrase “giver’s glow”? This describes the many health perks of giving back, including lower blood pressure, decreased risk of depression and anxiety, higher self-esteem and increased happiness.

Volunteering is great for getting out of your head and ridding yourself of negative emotions like shame, guilt or anxiety that can hold you back in your recovery. Helping someone else is also a surefire way to boost your self-esteem and gain a positive perspective on your life. Plus, you’ll meet new friends and gain some valuable skills that might help when you’re ready to find employment.

Spring-Themed Volunteering Ideas

Certainly, you can give back to your community all year round, but springtime means an array of fun outdoor and season-appropriate activities. Here are a few ideas to get you inspired!

• Beautify a local park or beach. Volunteer to clean up your community park by picking up trash, fixing up the playground or planting flowers. You can also participate in a local beach cleanup to help protect the sand and sea.
• Take a pup for a walk. Check your local shelter to see if they need any dog walkers. Together, you and your furry friend can reap the benefits of exercising outdoors. 
• Clean up the earth. Find out what your community is doing for Earth Day and how you can help. This might include planting a tree, volunteering to clear off a road, helping out a climate change nonprofit or planting flowers around town. Or, gather some sober friends and plant a community garden for your local recovery community.
• Make a donation. If you do a little spring cleaning, make sure to give away your lightly used goods. For example, you can donate clothes and household and entertainment items to small, local thrift stores or larger nonprofit organizations that run thrift stores. Craft supplies and books can be donated to churches or local youth groups.

Volunteering during recovery is a wonderful way to keep yourself busy in a rewarding and productive manner. Just be sure to always put your recovery first. If you feel overwhelmed, scale back so you don't sidetrack your own sobriety. Remember: every bit counts and no impact is too small this spring!

Staying Sober, Staying Involved

After recovery, the staff at Complete Harmony encourages you to find groups and community resources that support your commitment to sobriety. To learn more about our cutting-edge treatments and services, call today: 866-930-4673.

Healthy Activities for Fall

Fall is filled with an abundance of healthy activities that suit the season and your recovery goals. Here are a few ways to take advantage of the many ways autumn can strengthen your body and mind as you work hard this season to get (and stay) sober.  

• Rake some leaves. This fall chore happens to be a great workout. For added fun and calorie burn: Jump in the piles a few times or recruit some friends and have relays around bagging the leaves. 
• Cook up some healthy fall treats. Roast some fall veggies like Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes or whip up a light butternut squash soup. For a healthful dessert, pop some apples in the oven and sprinkle with some cinnamon. 
• Go for a long hike. Time spent with Mother Nature has been study-proven to calm activity in a part of the brain linked to mental illness and reduce your mind’s propensity to “ruminate” — or focus on negative, self-focused patterns linked with anxiety and depression.
• Play a pick-up game. The benefits of playing flag football or soccer with a group of friends or recovery peers are double-duty: You’ll get in a good workout and socialize. 
• Make time to volunteer. There’s nothing like cooler temperatures to remind you about the importance of helping others who lack hot food and a warm place to sleep. Volunteer at a nearby shelter or participate in a coat drive -- any good deed to give back and remind you to be grateful for what you have. 

Tis the Season for Recovery
If you or a loved one is searching for an addiction treatment program that blends conventional and alternative strategies for healing, our team can help. Nurturing mind, body, and spirit, we provide a continuum of treatment for residents and outpatients. Call Complete Harmony today: 866-930-4673.