11 Tips To Help You Stay Sober

You’ll feel energized, alive, and best of all, sober. Now that you’re in recovery, treat yourself to a massage or a new pair or shoes to celebrate how far you’ve come. Our self-assessment may be helpful in recognizing substance abuse in yourself. If you have been suffering from alcohol use disorder or substance use disorder, you may have encountered financial problems. Developing and pursuing a variety of goals can help you thrive as you start embracing life substance-free.

Substance abuse can trigger an array of negative health outcomes, both physical and emotional. Alternatively, experiment with new ways of spending your free time. Imagination is your only limitation and you’ll soon be productively filling your time. Choosing recovery close to home means your support system is just a few miles away. Similar to getting a new job, another way you can fill your time is volunteering.

Form New Habits to Stay Sober

No celebration will be the picture-perfect example of what a sober holiday should be. Try to be prepared for whatever may come, even if that means your holiday bird burns in the oven or you have trouble putting down the money needed to fulfill your kids’ wish lists. Several peer support groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous , are helpful during recovery journeys. While these are well-known, you can often find other support groups online or locate apps that help you build connections with other people. A few bad decisions can get you right back where you were. Making this connection is vital to successful recovery and motivation to remain healthy.

Mark the days off on the calendar or make lists of the good things you accomplished. In your mind, you might think it’s blaringly obvious to the people around you that you’re choosing to be sober and that it’s a big deal for you. The practice of meditation in a hot room where you sweat away distractions is challenging, but it’s also a great way to forget about your worries. Use your alone time during exercise to refocus on your goal to find sober ways to celebrate. Local charities are usually in need of an extra hand during the holidays when they hand out food, sort clothing or provide support systems to those in need. In fact, if you’d rather spend time in a soup kitchen than around the family dinner table, invite your family to join you. Working together to help others is a great way to bond.

Therapy

To prevent a relapse, one of the best things you can do is manage your time wisely. Again, there’s a lot of hours in the day and you will feel each hour tick by at a snail’s pace, especially when cravings https://ecosoberhouse.com/ occur. With time, it will get easier, but especially when you’re jumping back in, keep a strict schedule. Getting sober is a sprint, staying sober is like running a marathon without a finish line.

Get up at around the same time every day, go to bed around the same time every night, schedule calls with family members, and take a bath or shower to unwind every evening. If you don’t care for your mental health before, during, or after you get sober, you can expect your addiction to rear its ugly head again and again throughout your lifetime. It’s important not to feel like a failure tips to stay sober if you’re struggling to stay sober. Long-term success often comes with multiple setbacks. What’s important is that you continue making progress on your journey to sober living. Lean on close friends and family for support, even if your relationships aren’t what they used to be. Think about going to counseling or family therapy to help with that and to deal with other personal issues.

Avoid Risky Situations

Before your life may have revolved around drinking or using drugs, but part of staying sober is finding new ways to stay engaged in your life. Come up with a time in your head when you want to say your goodbyes. If something comes up that makes you uncomfortable or proves to be too much of a temptation, that’s also a cue to head for the door. Leave knowing you were able to enjoy yourself and celebrate the holidays with friends – all while staying sober. One of the best things you can do to avoid relapse is come up with a game plan to use whenever you encounter triggers.

It will also remind you that you’re not the only one going through it, and others may have good tips to share on how they avoided drinking. A simple online search of meetings in the city you’re staying in should bring up in-person schedules. Sticking to your aftercare plan is an essential part of staying clean and sober.

Create a new routine and avoid old habits

Make a plan for what to do if you must leave your family behind to keep your sobriety. Know what kinds of situations you’re likely to face and any triggers you’re likely to encounter.

Familiar holiday traditions and big group gatherings in a sober environment can be a big help in making the holidays feel special. Many of these events also take time during the day, when it’s less likely that alcohol will be present. Make the commitment to not drink on vacation as early on in the planning process as possible. Visualize how you want the trip to go and how you would like to feel during it to create an experience you’ll truly enjoy. With the right tips to stay sober, you can make the recovery process much less challenging. Read our five tips to help you stay sober to learn more about how you can improve your recovery. We may feel entitled to a drink when we feel mistreated or resentful.