Autumn is a season of transition where people enjoy the last of the good weather and nature starts to prepare for a long cold winter. Autumn can also be a great season of transition for people beginning or living a life of addiction or recovery.
Whether you have just hit a tipping point in your addiction, have recently made changes, or simply hope to make positive changes in your life, fall is a great time to do it. Like the leaves on a tree changing before the cold months, you can choose to make life changes that make you more beautiful in the short term and more importantly prepare you to come back strong, healthy, and fully functional.
While the poetic comparisons to nature are often all people need to jump start their journey to recovery, the fall season also offers practical advantages to people seeking major life changes.
Practical Benefits
If you have a practical brain and all of the turning over a new leaf comparisons just aren’t convincing enough for you, then consider some of these practical benefits of pursuing a life of sobriety and recovery this fall.
Outdoor Access
One of the biggest benefits of living in Salt Lake City is the easy access to world class mountains, deserts, and trail systems. This access is at its peak during the autumn months. All of the leaves in the mountains change color, the temperature in the desert is comfortable, and there are far less crowds than the busy summer and winter months.
Even if you are not typically outdoorsy, this easy access will be a huge crutch you can lean on when embarking or continuing a journey of recovery.
Making sure to exercise after addressing your addiction is a must. No matter where you are in your journey, your body and brain desperately need exercise. Whether you are just starting to walk around the block every day or you are climbing mountains in your free time, the opportunities to exercise in the outdoors will greatly enhance your life in recovery.
Exercising will help your body burn fat, build muscle, and mend internal organs that have been under a lot of stress. Mentally it can help clear your mind, provide new perspectives on the world, and allow you to settle into a better sleep schedule.
Sleep is often a tricky thing to get right while your body gets used to falling asleep without the help of substances. Not only will the exercise make you tired, but the chillier weather provides an absolutely perfect sleeping environment. This boosted sleep will help you stay the course and thrive in a life of recovery.
Consistent Schedules
While the pandemic has thrown a wrench in everyone’s schedules, Autumn still provides a reset for many people’s schedules. Whether you have children or not, their return to school seems to reset the entire country’s schedule to something more consistent. If you do have children you will be more aware of this then most.
Adhering to consistent sleep schedules, workout routines, and work schedules will help you best recover from your addiction. A consistent sleep schedule is vital to achieving good sleep which usually serves as a great platform for sober success. Furthermore, the consistent schedule will limit stress, which is not only healthy but can help you avoid the temptations of a relapse.
Preparation
As you know, autumn marks the turn in the calendar towards the holidays which are a very difficult period of time for many people on a journey to recovery. By making changes now you can set yourself up for a happy and easy holiday period.
Trying to start your journey of Sobriety during the dark winter months that are filled with parties and feature limited access to the outdoors is a tricky situation. Starting your journey in the fall months provides you with the ability to get a jump start on the cold months, setting you up for success.
This added time will allow you to build good sleep and exercise habits, while ensuring you can find both personal and professional support systems that will have your back when the holidays roll around.
Remember the best time to start your journey of recovery is always as soon as possible, with the fact that it is autumn simply being a nice bonus.
Why Autumn Is The Best Time To Work On Addiction and Recovery
If you have been struggling with addiction there is no better time to make a healthy change in your life then Autumn. Especially here in Salt Lake City, autumn is a lovely couple of months full of beauty in the outdoors, changing weather, and resetting schedules.
The changing weather in the outdoors will give you something to do and help you build healthy exercising routines. Meanwhile, the changing weather will help you get good sleep and keep your mood high. Finally, the resetting schedules will give you time to get outside, encourage a consistent sleep schedule, and limit stress.
By capitalizing on this period of transition you will be able to set up a platform of good habits that will encourage and enable you to maintain your sobriety.
