Whether you are in early recovery or you have been in recovery for a long time, there are challenges that may come up. The good news is there are tips that you can use to stay sober all year long.
Not in recovery yet? Here at Better Tomorrow, we can help you to get the addiction treatment you need. That way, you can start your recovery off on the right foot. For now, here are some of the best sobriety tips we have for anyone trying to live in recovery.
Routines and Habits
Have you been abusing drugs and/or alcohol? If so, these substances likely took a lot of your energy and time. Part of the reason for this is because of your unhealthy routines and habits of looking for and using drugs and/or alcohol.
However, you don’t have to stick to those routines and habits. In recovery, you can work on avoiding destructive, old habits and create new, positive routines instead. This might include you having to avoid places, things and people that are associated with your addiction. Once you start doing this, though, it will be much easier to stick to your new interests, routines, habits and schedules.
If you need to start in recovery or need help to stay sober, don’t hesitate to reach out to our Better Tomorrow team today.
Identifying Triggers
Everyone who struggles with an addiction has triggers such as friends who drink, job stressors and much more. If you are in recovery, identifying your triggers is one of the best ways that you can stay sober all year long. These triggers may change over time, too, as different stressors may lead to cravings throughout the year.
If you need help identifying your stressors or triggers, our Better Tomorrow team can help through cognitive-behavioral therapy and other types of therapies. You may find that:
- Emotional stress
- Financial worries
- Family issues
- General life obstacles
- Relationship problems
Can all cause you to experience cravings and increase your risk of relapse. If you attend therapy options and other treatments or recovery meetings, you can lower your risk of relapsing.
Recognizing Signs of a Relapse
If you want to stay sober all year long, there are many ways that you can do this. One of the best things you can do is to learn and recognize the signs of a relapse. By doing this, you can recognize what may lead to a relapse, so you can stop it before it happens. Some of the common signs of a relapse include:
- Acting irresponsibly
- Thinking alcohol and/or drugs will relieve your pain
- Engaging in self-destructive behaviors
- Acting compulsively
- Going back to old thought patterns
- Seeking out places and people who will approve of your using drugs or drinking alcohol
- Irrational thinking
If you are displaying any of these signs of a relapse, don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Getting support is going to be one of the best tips to helping you with your sobriety and recovery.
Be Physically Active
Research shows that exercising for even 30 minutes a day can help people to stay sober and in recovery. Some of the ways that it can do this include:
- Strengthening your mental health
- Improving your physical fitness
- Relieving stress and boredom
- Helping you focus on your goals
- Relieving anxiety and depression
If you need these benefits in your life, there are many different exercises you can do. Some of the best options are yoga, tennis, swimming, cycling, jogging and walking.
Build Your Support System
As you start transitioning into a life of recovery or as you face struggles in your recovery, it is important that you have support. The members of your support system can help you to relieve stress, find solutions to your problems, relieve boredom and boost your motivation. Some of the people that might be part of your support system include:
- Family members
- Friends
- Co-workers
- Neighbors
- People from AA or NA meetings
- Your sponsor
- Doctor and/or therapists
- Members of our Better Tomorrow team
If you haven’t done so already, it would be a good idea to start building your support system as soon as possible. The sooner you get people to support you in your sobriety and recovery, the lower chances you will have of relapsing.
Structure Your Life
Living in an active addiction is usually chaotic. There are so many issues that may arise in your life, especially due to the fact that most addicts don’t have any structure. When you get into recovery from your addiction, adding structure to your life is one of the best tips to stay sober all year long.
Some of the things that you may want to structure your day around include:
- Sleeping
- Eating
- Working
- Other responsibilities
- Exercising
- Doing recovery work
- Treatments
- Appointments
There are numerous ways to add structure to your life including creating a schedule, adding things to your calendar, setting up to-do lists and getting a productivity buddy.
Healthy Living
Substance abuse can cause many negative health effects such as emotional, mental and physical ones. However, when you are trying to stay sober, you need to live the healthiest life you can, especially one that is substance-free. Some of these healthy living tips include:
- Exercising regularly
- Eating whole, healthy foods
- Getting quality sleep
- Minimizing processed foods
- Doing yoga and/or meditation
These are some of the best healthy living tips for recovery. If you implement these tips into your life, it will be much easier to stay sober.
Managing Your Finances
If you have been struggling with substance abuse, you are likely having financial issues due to buying drugs and/or alcohol. You may have been skipping bills in order to cover your addiction. You may have lost your job, too.
If you are living a life of recovery and sobriety, it is important to manage your finances. That way, you have one less stressor that could lead to a relapse. You can even take financial management classes for free online. That way, you can learn various ways to manage bills, income and other aspects of your finances.
Staying Calm
Another very important tip for helping you to stay sober is staying calm no matter what happens. There are likely going to be obstacles and other issues that show up in your life – this happens to everyone, even those who haven’t struggled with an addiction.
With this being said, it is crucial that you can stay calm while these issues arise. Staying calm is going to give you the focus and motivation you need to overcome issues and stay sober.
Get and Stay Sober Today
Are you struggling with an addiction? Maybe, you are already in recovery, but you are struggling to overcome issues in your life. No matter what the case might be, you can get and stay sober today and all year long.
Contact us today, here at Better Tomorrow, to get and stay in a life of sobriety and recovery.