Confidence is key to believing in your power; believing in your ability boosts your confidence. Having my faith in God is my ultimate salvation from the hell I’ve experienced. Time and time again, God has delivered me from dark situations and forgotten corners. I realize some people would suggest that God placed me there first, but that is a lack of faith. So I stopped, drank some water, and got back into the workout. Do you have a loved one or family member that works out?
Develop a Structured Routine
- Ask your doctor about nonmedical ways to manage your pain, like massage or acupuncture.
- In fact, your journey to sobriety will likely involve strengthening some relationships and purging others.
- This is when sobriety requires effort, discipline and endurance or you will suffer a relapse.
- One thing to note is isolation is one of the enemies of sobriety.
- Getting ahead of stress by implementing healthy stress management techniques is key to staying on track with your sobriety.
There’s no shortage of hobbies and creative outlets. Some of the most creative people used artistic expression to showcase what they’re feeling. Don’t fear the struggles, let them out in a healthy way. There are very few illnesses and ailments yoga won’t cure. It aids in digestion, balance ((mentally and physically) and can help you ward off depression and cravings. Even if you’re unable to attend a class, there are plenty of channels on YouTube where you can walk through a yoga routine.
- It’s continual treatment to help you get better, continue checking in and isolate why you turned to alcohol in the first place and how to avoid triggers going forward.
- You can do this out loud or silently to yourself, but start reciting all the things you’re thankful for and appreciative of.
- Your mindset has shifted to caring for your body instead of destroying it.
- When you feel the pull of alcohol, stop and check in with what that feels like.
- Remember, recovery is an ongoing process, and each day presents an opportunity to strengthen your resolve and learn new coping skills.
Make New Friends
Loving yourself is essential if you’re going to maintain sobriety. Notably, loving yourself makes it more challenging to violate that love with drugs and alcohol. Another relapse prevention tool is the power of forgiveness.
- Schedule an exact time each day to internally check in.
- You’ve overcome drug addiction and/or alcohol abuse.
- For some, a trigger may be spending time with a friend who doesn’t respect your sobriety.
- When things like this happen, find a sober friend or loved one you can talk to for support.
- Repairing and strengthening family relationships is often a crucial part of the recovery process.
Is It Difficult to Stay Sober?
People in poverty also have decreased access to healthcare and social support systems. When weighing the heaviness of this reality on top of addiction recovery, it increases the chance of relapse. Whether you’ve struggled with drug addiction, excessive alcohol use, binge drinking, or any substance use disorder, addiction recovery is a long game. Relapse prevention is a key part of the entire sobriety journey. No matter how you define it, sober life has many benefits, including a higher overall quality of life and one includes a healthier lifestyle. You may find that new friends are sober friends, and after recovering from a substance abuse disorder, people generally see life in a tips to stay sober new, hopeful way.
Establish a Routine
If you start feeling triggered to use or drink, you can reach out to people who care about you. The more tools you have for identifying triggers, coping with stress, and managing your new sober life, the easier you’ll prevent relapse. Here are some tips that experts recommend often. Haley was raised in San Diego, and moved to Los Angeles to get sober over three years ago. Haley has always known she wanted to work in the mental health field, and is skilled in helping dual-diagnosis residents stay sober. She has been the Director of Sunset House for over a year.
Research shows that if you maintain these types of toxic relationships, your chances of relapsing are greater. To avoid relapse and remain sober, it’s important to develop healthy relationships. Some of the immediate changes you will need to make will be obvious—like not hanging around the people that you used with or obtained drugs from. After all, you can’t hang around your drug dealer or old drinking buddies and expect to remain sober for very long.
Practice speaking recovery affirmations to begin the positive influence of your mindset shift. Some people say affirmations in front of the mirror. I find this to be a vulnerable moment with myself. However, that is not necessary, provided that you’re saying them. Believe in yourself and your ability to stay sober.