Graduating college and getting your first real-world job can be a very stressful experience, no matter who you are.

In high-stress situations, one’s natural tendency is to look for a way to calm those fears as no one enjoys going through life stressed every day. Some people cope by going to the gym, others by hanging out with friends, however, some people start to use illicit substances as a way to cope with the stresses of everyday life.

In the beginning, it could start out as little as one time a week or month just as a way to unwind and relax from the stressful work week that just past or is looming over you. However, messing with these substances is no joke as anyone who has abused them can tell you just how addictive they are.

Using drugs or alcohol to escape the stress of your job or life is definitely not the right way to do it; there many other better options out there for someone who needs to relax and unwind.

A few ways to relax after a long day at the office

As mentioned above, one great way to release stress is to go to the gym and work out. Exercise releases endorphins throughout the body which causes a positive reaction and can lessen the amount of stress one feels. It can leave you feeling rejuvenated and motivated to tackle whatever task you have at hand.

Although exercise is not for everyone, it does have many benefits if you can incorporate it into your daily routine. Not only can it reduce your stress levels, but can lead to a healthier life overall and add longevity to your mind and body.

If exercise is something you just cannot do, then maybe meditation and self-reflection is another great way to calm the mind without having to pick up the dumbbells. Being self-aware and creating an open mind through meditation is one of the greatest ways to bring peace and harmony to your mind and body.

Decluttering your mind for a set period of time each day, and giving yourself time to think about what is important can be a very good way to decrease stress. You can start to see more clearly what is meaningful and what isn’t and it allows you to have a “me-time” break at some point in your stressful work schedule.

Making time for yourself is a must for anyone who feels rushed by their day and that they are not the ones in charge.

Consequences of being overstressed at work

Some people who cannot find a suitable way to detox their bodies of stress often find themselves frantically searching for other methods to cope with high-stress situations.

In this case, these people could turn to alcohol or drugs to find a way to numb their worries for a few hours a day. This is a very worrying habit to start as it can lead to alcohol dependency or a serious drug addiction.

However, many of these people may be high functioning addicts – meaning they can come to work just fine the next day after feeding their body all sorts of substances the night before to unwind. Or, they can function in their daily life – work, relationships, etc – while they’re high or drunk, without any of their colleagues or loved ones realizing.

For some of these people, it can especially tough to ask for help with an addiction as they are in high positions and looked up too, thus attempting to speak openly about an addiction they may have developed could hinder their life. Not everyone has to be homeless or uneducated to be a drug user; this is a stereotype that makes it that much tougher for someone with a normal working job to want to have to go to rehab and get help. It is the thought that they too would be classed and labeled into a certain type of category that they don’t feel they belong.

It is these types of stigmas that can lead people to fool themselves into thinking they don’t have any sort of addiction problem and they are totally in control of when they choose to abuse the substance.

First steps to recovery

The initial phase of recovery for high functioning addicts is acceptance. They have to accept the fact that they do not have control of this issue and they may need to look for help to recover.

An addiction recovery program could be the best place to turn to as it can help get you back on the path to sobriety quickly with a set organized schedule of how the recovery will look.

If you are having issues don’t take them lightly, addictions are a serious matter and can lead to fatal incidents in a lot of cases. Act before it is too late!