Habili-blog 2/26/18
“Let’s get physical ”
by Jared Mayes
I am willing to go out on a limb and say that most addicts are plagued with eternal boredom which leads to most of the justifications for using drugs in the first place. My life motto for a long time was “Well I can’t think of anything better to do.” Without physical and mental stimulation of the brain it fails to function properly. Your brain is a well balanced natural pharmacy when you take care of it balancing everything from dopamine to serotonin. It’s not until we alter this natural process that our bodies become unbalanced thus craving outside chemicals to produce the desired effects. I am not a scientist, but I believe that if you can create a regimen in life which supports a healthy lifestyle than you can find alternative ways to fuel your body and brain.
Let’s look at a quick example. Say you wake up and it’s just one of those days. You’re tired and stressed and don’t know how you’re going to make it through the day. Research shows that working out of stretching when you wake up in the morning not only reduces stress, but improves circulation in your blood, releasing endorphins similar to a morphine high and gives you a longer lasting energy boost than a cup of coffee. Holy cow with just one solution we took care of 3 of the most common vices in the world today; drugs, coffee, and cigarettes. It takes 30 days to create a habit according to the professionals, so I guess I made a pretty solid habit with my decade of drug abuse. I’m going to tell you right now, two years ago I weighed 139 pounds which is definitely a scary sight for a 6-foot-tall man. Today I am physically active and feel good about pushing myself, setting goals for myself and beating addiction.
If you would have told me two years ago that I would be physically craving exercise instead of Heroin I would have laughed in your face but that’s what happens when you apply yourself and decide to make healthy choices. Don’t get me wrong I have a long way before people start mistaking me for Arnold Schwarzenegger, but I feel pretty good knowing that I set out to get off drugs and instead I found a new passion to see my body as a machine that I must nurture and purify. I found a way to combat stress, tiredness, anger and countless other emotions and it cost less than a pack of cigarettes, less than a Starbucks coffee, and way less than a bag of heroin or speed. I never thought I’d use such a cliché, but I guess I’m getting high on life while beating addiction.
Check out some ideas on how to make healthy habits stick here.
Beating Addiction