Ever wondered why your heart races or your muscles tense during a scary movie? That’s stress, your body’s natural response to anything your brain may interpret as a threat. Stress can be external, like losing a job or arguing with someone, or internal, like the pressure you might put on yourself to overachieve in recovery or navigate that journey perfectly. It can also be anything that feels overwhelming or chaotic.
The point is that stress in any of its forms can impact nearly every system in your body—your heart rate, breathing, digestion, and even your thoughts.
At St. Gregory Recovery Center in Iowa, we know that stress can also be subtle, showing up in sneaky ways that you can’t anticipate:
- Maybe you feel fidgety during a group therapy session where you haven’t said anything at all.
- Perhaps you’re suddenly short of breath after a seemingly productive individual therapy session.
- You may get more irritable than usual after a tremendous accomplishment, like staying substance-free for a year or longer.
These are common stress reactions, and they may last longer or hit harder in recovery because your mind and body are constantly healing. This blog will help you understand what stress looks like, ways to recognize it, and tips for coping with it.
How Can Stress Affect Your Recovery in Iowa?
Stress doesn’t just cause tension—it can also complicate your recovery progress. Research shows that chronic or repeated stress may disrupt your body’s ability to return to a calm state, affecting how you regulate your emotional responses and how much you crave the substances you’re trying to live without. When that craving builds without healthy coping skills, it may put you at greater risk of relapsing.
How St. Gregory Supports You Through Stress in Des Moines
Our Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in Des Moines gives you the structure and tools to help you handle stress without stepping away from your responsibilities. You’ll have access to daily therapy, medical supervision, holistic care like meditation and nutritional counseling, and a supportive community. All of this happens while letting you return home every night, so you can continue to practice managing real-life stress.
10 Stress Management Tips For Individuals in Recovery
When you’re able to manage stress constructively and without substances, you protect your recovery.
Here are 10 simple tips to help you do just that:
- Stick to a daily rhythm. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day helps your brain navigate chaos. Plus, a regular schedule can help reduce anxiety and boost your sense of control.
- Move your body, even just a little. You don’t need to run marathons to keep stress in check. Even a 20-minute walk or some light stretching may help lift your mood, ease tension, and reset your nervous system.
- Breathe before you react. When something stressful hits, pause and inhale for 5 seconds, hold it in for 5, and exhale for 5 more seconds. Afterward, notice how what you may have wanted to say or do changes.
- Limit the doom-scrolling. You don’t have to avoid the news or social media entirely, but you also don’t have to consume violent or distressing content constantly. Take breaks from social media and real-time notifications about world events to let your mind rest.
- Go outside. Sunlight, fresh air, trees, even a quiet park bench—they all can help. Time in nature may lower stress and lift your spirits, especially if you feel stuck or suffocated indoors.
- Write it out. Grab a notebook and unload your thoughts into it. Journaling may give your worries a place to land and help you notice unexpected triggers you might want to work on.
- Make time to unwind. Set aside time for substance-free activities you genuinely enjoy that also help you disconnect from stress and responsibilities—reading, painting, listening to music, or doing absolutely nothing for a few minutes.
- Stay connected. Isolation may feed into your stress. Call or text a friend, talk to someone you trust, or join a community support group to help your recovery thrive in safe social connections.
- Practice gratitude. Take a minute every day to write down or say aloud anything that you’re grateful for. It could be your morning coffee, a compliment you received, or a good night’s sleep. Gratitude can help train your brain to look for the good.
- Ask for help when you need it. You don’t have to handle everything alone all the time. Attending therapy or just asking someone to help you with groceries can help ease your burdens and build community at the same time.
Manage Recovery Stress in Bayard, IA
When it comes to staying sane in recovery, every breath, every walk, every connection counts. Stress may not disappear, but it can be managed, keeping you on track and reducing the risk of returning to old habits. St. Gregory Recovery Center is here to help you build powerful stress management habits that keep you steady through life’s highs and lows.
Contact us today to learn how we can support your journey in Bayard, Des Moines, or wherever you are.
