Summer is a season when people like to get out and enjoy the warm weather. Even if larger gatherings are still ill-advised, there are still ways that people can enjoy each others’ company and interact. But with vacation ideas often limited, feelings of isolation can set in and even this time of year can carry its difficulties. However, there are still many ways for someone to enjoy these summer months safely while in recovery from addiction, regardless of how much or how little things are open for recreation.

There Will Always Be Family and Loved Ones

Even while someone feels isolated, they can still be intimately tied to family and loved ones. For those living at a home with family and loved ones, there is no reason that new traditions cannot be started during this time. It is still possible to play games with family members and try new hobbies. Backyard sports like cornhole or horseshoes can help someone continue building trust with their family while getting outside and experiencing the fresh air.

Picnics and walks together allow someone to experience the benefits of summer, such as the healthy component of getting outside while still building a close bond of trust and love with one’s family and friends. Summer can be a time to experiment with new traditions, building towards a new future.

Cooking in Recovery

Summer invites images of barbecues and cookouts to populate someone’s mind. While going to large parties may still be difficult for someone in recovery, there is no reason that someone cannot try to throw their own small, sober party and enjoy these activities.

Not only can social gatherings in a safe environment help a person practice the necessary social skills, but learning how to barbecue can provide a needed purpose for someone. Learning to cook during this time allows someone to continue building on their acts of service by growing new relationships and learning new skills that can help them interact safely.

Cooking not only promotes social interactions and a more healthy style of living, but also helps keep a person’s mind and body busy during parties and social gatherings. Being able to keep busy with practicing new skills can help keep someone focused on their tasks and recovery at hand, rather than worrying about the larger social stresses and triggers that may be present at a gathering.

Growing a Garden

Warm air and sunlight don’t always have to be coupled with a group activity. Instead, the simple act of growing a garden can provide someone with a good degree of therapeutic value. Tending plants or growing a garden is something that uses a few of the necessary skills for recovery.

Not only is it something that requires a schedule in order to maintain, but it can also be rewarding in real time. People can watch their gardens grow, the herbs, vegetables, or fruits ripen, and flowers bloom. It is a constant stream of progress when someone can watch their hard work pay off in action.

Vegetable and herb gardens can then be used for cooking as well, creating a multi-faceted approach to recovery during the summer season.

Getting Out on a Hike

Depending on what options are available, there may or may not be sporting events or parks available in order for someone to get out with friends and exercise. However, hiking is a way that someone can get out in nature, experience the fresh air, and still maintain their sense of safety.

Going on a hike, however, is more than simply getting outside for the sake of exercise. On trails, a person is typically surrounded by nature, with no walls in sight. Getting outside isn’t just important for the fresh air. Rather, it is a way to break down one’s walls and experience a bit of freedom where they don’t have to be confined by doors or screens. There is something freeing about just knowing that it is possible to take a step off of the beaten trail.

Summer is a time when a person is free to choose how they engage with others, as well as a time that opens up more opportunities for activities and hobbies. Being able to get outside and safely experience nature or spend time with loved ones is important in staying motivated through recovery.

The freedom that comes with the summer seasons can be difficult for some people, as the time of year itself can be a trigger created by an addiction. But it is also a time of opportunity to establish new norms, new traditions, and new chances for someone to see their efforts and success in action.

If you or a loved one are struggling with addiction and any of its co-occurring mental health disorders, contact The Kimberly Center today. Taking a holistic approach to all aspects needed in recovery, The Kimberly Center offers programs for all stages of recovery. From inpatient and residential care to intensive outpatient and aftercare services, there is always a professional willing to help you address your unique situation and goals. No two stories of recovery are the same, and each program can be personalized based on your own needs and goals. For more information on how The Kimberly Center can help you, contact one of their professional, caring staff members today at (855) 452-3683.