If getting sober were easy, everyone would do it. Here at Healthy Life, we recognize the struggles that come with early sobriety, so we have collected a few of our best tips, tricks & strategies to help you get sober and STAY sober.
Don’t Get Comfortable
Just when you think you’ve got the hang of this whole sobriety thing, is exactly when you don’t. Especially on the days that you feel like you’ve got a solid grip on your sobriety, don’t take it for granted.
There will be days where you feel tested and days where you feel like you can conquer anything and during each of those days, it is important to reflect inward and remind yourself of why you are getting sober in the first place.
Surround Yourself with Healthy Relationships
Early sobriety can bring out old manipulation tactics and oftentimes it’s easy to forget that we need people around us that will tell us no. Positive social interaction is essential in early sobriety and healthy relationships can play an integral role in preventing relapse. The people closest to you should hold strong boundaries and have very good, open means of communication.
Embrace a Sober Living
When you are freshly sober, it’s important to be surrounded by anything and everything that reflects the positive outcomes of sobriety. Your sobriety isn’t something you clock in and clock out of, it’s an every day, every second, king of mission.
Therefore you need to be surrounded by it 24/7 especially in the beginning when the chances of relapsing are high. It also helps immensely to be surrounded by others that are facing the same struggles as you, so you can work through the tough parts together.
The Pink Cloud Doesn’t Have to End with a Low
If you don’t know what the pink cloud is, it happens early in your recovery process and you’ll know it’s happening when you are feeling pretty good. In most cases, it happens right after you finish going through withdrawals, which probably caused you a lot of physical and mental stress.
Most people think that the pink cloud results in a bad crash, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Make sure to focus on small manageable goals, self care and the extra support of the people in your 12-step program or recovery circle.
Self-Care is Your Priority
There is a good chance you are going to have some intense cravings for something to fill that space that was once taken up by drugs and/or alcohol. It may be sugar from the lack of alcohol in your system or you could replace your substance abuse addiction with something else like working out.
It’s important to eat foods that fuel your body with good energy as well as workout in moderation. Make small to do lists that you know you can accomplish each day and start writing down simple things you are grateful for. You are not limited to just those habits either… adopt healthy habits that set your body and mind up for success.
Find a New Hobby
Chances are, getting high or drinking was your hobby. Since that’s no longer the case, it’s time to find something that you love to do! While it may feel uncomfortable, try going to some classes for working out, art, cooking, etc. Grab some friends from your program or sober living and do something that your city is known for. You never know what activity you might end up loving.
All in all, recovery is tough, but with the right support, you can stay sober for life.
