Addiction can consume a person’s life and leave them groping in the dark for a way out. Overusing a substance or an activity may seem like a fun idea at first, but it is not long before the monumental side effects take hold. People who have experienced the throws of addiction are left remembering feelings of dread, not the feelings of escape. In fact, the most memorable thing about addiction is recovering from it. Addiction recovery is challenging, but possible, and one means of bouncing back from it is by filling your life with worthwhile activities. Creating a life of purpose for yourself is integral to your addiction recovery.

One excellent means of filling your time when recovering from addiction is exploring the arts. Creativity is a basic human function, and everyone has the ability to express themselves creatively. Not everyone has the same level of talent, and people’s skills lie in different creative areas, but everyone is capable of something creative. Not only does everyone have the ability to execute an art or a craft form, but everyone can benefit from it. Creative activities are essential to a healthy brain. A brain that receives no creative processes in its mental diet is a brain that is not being used to its full capacity. A brain that is allowed to generate a creative process is a brain that is being exercised and pushed to its potential, which is always better for mental health.

Another useful way of filling your spare time with beneficial activities is by engaging in physical recreation. Any type of exercise, whether it is highly energetic or gentle, is excellent for your mental health and for addiction recovery. The reason for this is it has been proven that humans process thoughts, feelings and information better when using both sides of the brain. Exercise stimulates a large part of the brain, while thinking critically about your own mental health stimulates another large part, and occurring simultaneously, these two different brain functions aid each other and help develop one another. In addition, exercise helps restore your body to an optimal level of health, balancing brain chemicals in the process.