Independent Living Skills Activities for Recovering Addicts

For people recovering from an addiction, learning or re-learning living skills may prove to be a difficult task. Most people who are recovering from addiction leave an addiction recovery center. At those centers, the person received daily physical and emotional help from counselors and other people living at the center. However, once the person leaves, that support may seem minimal or gone in everyday situations. It is important that a recovering addict formulate independent living skills so he does not sink back into addiction.

Daily Hygiene

• It might seem elementary, but creating a daily routine for hygiene helps an addict return to a normal, everyday life. The former addict needs to structure an appropriate sleeping schedule so she receives proper amounts of sleep. She should also begin to diet and eat a healthier diet, including grains, fruits, and vegetables. Daily exercise routines also help the person center her attention and physical energy in fitness.

Job Coaching and Finding

• Many addicts suffered financial losses when they were addicted to drugs. Add in the fact that many recovery centers could be expensive to enroll in, and the person may have large debts once he leaves recovery. Job coaching skills may include resume building, increasing communication skills and finding the daily strength to apply to jobs. A job will not only lead to financial stability, but will also give a sense of daily purpose in a person's life.

Investing in Hobbies

• Drug addiction often saps energy away from enjoyable and social hobbies. Hobbies such as reading, traveling, the arts, or music are just some examples of hobbies. When a person is re-entering the real world, there could be personal holes in her life that need to be filled. The best way to fill these holes is to embark on the hobbies the addict used to enjoy or find new hobbies that she might find peaceful. Anything from working on automobiles to knitting to enjoying a good book can help a former addict feel fulfilled daily and give them activities to look forward to.

Reinvesting In Spiritual and Emotional Bonds

• One of the most important investments for a former addict is to re-invest in interpersonal bonds with people. This may include communicating with family again, especially if the person's family members went through difficult emotional trauma during his drug addiction. Another reinvestment may include sparking new friendships. New friendships may give the former addict emotional support and help him move away from the type of people he may have communicated with when he was a drug addict. There are also spiritual investments a former addict may wish to invest in. Whatever belief system the former addict may want to join, a spiritual center and community helps the former addict see the world around him in a rejuvenated light.