Often, people will engage in recreational drug use to relieve pain or relax, but prolonged use can have adverse health effects.
Sure, some drugs aren’t as bad as others. For instance, recreational marijuana use has been noted to help relieve pain in chemotherapy patients. However, the use of other drugs, like fentanyl, has a higher chance of adverse health effects like shallow breathing, disorientation, and in some cases, death.
When you’re looking to relax, there are much healthier and natural methods than recreational drug use.
Take a look at these six natural and healthier alternatives to recreational drug use.
Yoga
Yoga is an exercise that involves slow, controlled movements and poses to promote physical strength, mental health, and spiritual fulfillment. For hundreds of years, people have used yoga as a way to stay focused on the present moment while relieving stress and improving their overall wellbeing.
There are many types of yoga that offer benefits for both mind and body. These include Ashtanga Yoga which helps develop self-awareness in its students by focusing on controlled breathing, Bikram which involves practicing yoga in high temperatures, and Iyengar Yoga which focuses on the details of each pose led by an instructor.
Meditation
Meditation is a practice that involves training the mind to concentrate on prolonging awareness of one’s breathing, thoughts, or actions.
It allows for self-reflection and can reduce stress. There are many forms of meditation, including Zazen, which originated in Zen Buddhism, and Tibetan Buddhist meditation which involves visualizing images before going to sleep.
Exercising
Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, help manage depression, protect against heart disease, lower blood pressure, improve memory and thinking skills, strengthen bones and muscles (including the heart), and even boost mood.
There’s a wide variety of exercises you can choose from to work out your body. Some examples include swimming, running, and weight training.
Listen to music
Many people turn to music when they’re sad, stressed, or just want a break from life.
Listening to certain types of music can help improve your mood, relieve stress, and reduce anxiety. For example, relaxing music like soft rock has been noted to improve sleep quality, while classical music can help calm the mind and improve stress levels.
Deep breathing
Practicing breathing exercises is a simple and effective way to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression.
When we feel stressed or anxious, we tend to breathe quickly and shallowly, leading to light-headedness and making us feel like we’re having a heart attack. Deep breathing techniques (inhale for 3 seconds, hold for 2 seconds and exhale slowly) can reverse this and help you achieve a relaxed state. It can also help calm you and improve your attention and focus.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture is a treatment in which thin needles are used to stimulate specific points on the body. This treatment has been shown to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression.
People can also use acupuncture to relieve chronic pain, allergies, asthma, PMS, menstrual cramps, nausea and vomiting, colds, and flu.
Each of these alternatives has been shown to give people relief from stress, but it’s important to note that they’re not the only treatment option. If you’re struggling with chronic stress or feel your mental health is suffering, you should consider speaking to a doctor or medical professional.
Recreational drug use once in a while might not immediately harm you, but prolonged use can, and it’s important to find healthier alternatives to relieve stress.
