Maintaining sobriety commonly involves some fairly major lifestyle changes. If you struggle to break out of old patterns and behaviors, it increases the likelihood of a relapse. While mistakes and slip-ups happen, it’s in your best interest to find ways to avoid them altogether. This means you need to make some robust adjustments to your routines.
Sobriety has the potential to improve your quality of life greatly. Since addiction can impact your relationships, job, and health, breaking through to sobriety has immense benefits. If you’re ready to find ways to achieve and maintain your sobriety, here’s what you need to know.
Find your purpose.
Often, substance addiction saps a person of their purpose in life. In some cases, it even replaces that purpose with substances like alcohol and drugs. Finding a true purpose and sticking to it can help you maintain your sobriety. For some people, this means finding a career path they truly enjoy. For others, it entails caring for friends, family, loved ones, and even pets. Whether you’re looking to do some volunteer work or you’re trying to become a sponsor for another person going through recovery, you must have goals and ambitions.
Many individuals rely on their pets to keep them sober. After all, when you’re in the throes of addiction, it’s hard to take care of yourself, let alone another living creature. Staying sober for your pet is a noble goal. If you don’t already have an animal in your care, you can consider adopting one or looking after an exotic pet. Pets like Dubia roaches are fascinating animals. Though insects aren’t for everyone, you could spend hours watching these exotic creatures. Even so, you’ll need to look up Dubia roaches care tips to make sure you’re providing your pets with a good life. You can consider a dog or a cat to keep you company for those who don’t want to deal with creatures with too many legs.
Develop sober hobbies.
With drug use and alcohol all over the media, it may seem as though giving in to temptation is the only way you can have fun. Luckily, that’s nowhere close to the truth. In fact, there are plenty of sober activities and hobbies that will give you something to look forward to each week. You can consider finding online forums filled with other people in recovery and seeking common interests. Apps like Meetup can help you find activities in your area, whether that’s things to do outside of downtown San Francisco or book clubs in Las Vegas.
From film clubs to weekly video game or board game nights, sober hobbies keep you occupied and also showed that you don’t need to rely on substances to have fun. While it’s not a requirement that you include a social component in your hobby, it can always help be around other sober individuals, so you don’t feel disconnected. It can also help keep you accountable. Plus, with all the money saved from not buying substances, you have much more to invest in a new, exciting hobby.
Involve your loved ones.
One component that’s common to addiction is the veil of secrecy. Many addicts try to hide or disguise their behavior. This is where terms like functioning alcoholic come from. When the addiction is well-hidden, it’s easier to dismiss or minimize as an actual problem. If you want to achieve and maintain sobriety, it’s hard if you’re the only one holding yourself accountable. Start by reaching out to a few trusted individuals in your inner circle. Admit that you have a problem and you’re working on recovery. Ask your loved ones to help you with a system of accountability.
If you’re in a relationship, you may even want to ask your partner to consider sobriety as well. There are plenty of sober activities for couples to help you strengthen the foundation of your relationship and maintain intimacy. If your partner isn’t ready for sobriety, however, you can at least ask them to refrain from substance use in your presence or request that they don’t keep alcohol in the house.
Ask your family and friends to check in on you regularly. By honestly communicating about your addictive tendencies, it’s easier to make adjustments and lifestyle changes. Though some individuals succeed on their own, it’s much easier to reach sobriety with a robust support system backing you up.
Invest in self-care.
Sometimes, you need to reward yourself for your accomplishments. While this doesn’t mean you should blow your entire paycheck the second it’s deposited, you shouldn’t feel guilty by treating yourself now and again. After all, there’s a reason it’s called retail therapy. When you’re sober, you’re likely to experience bodily changes. You’ll likely look less tired, your face may be less puffy, and you could even lose weight. If this happens, what better way to treat yourself than with a new outfit or two? Pick out some women’s ponchos, a new pair of heels, or some comfortable jeans. An impromptu shopping trip can lift your spirits and help you feel more accomplished.
For people who don’t enjoy shopping, you can invest in experiences. Take a long bubble bath after a stressful day. Pick up a copy of that new book you’ve heard about from your friends. See the latest movie that’s getting great reviews. Self-care takes hundreds of different forms. You need to determine what works best for your needs.
Don’t give up.
Perhaps the biggest component of sobriety is persistence. If you relapse, that’s okay. If you struggle, that’s normal. If you need medical help to detox, you’re not alone. Few people successfully achieve sobriety their first time around. For those that do, it’s incredible. For those that don’t, you simply have to keep trying. A sober lifestyle may not be easy to achieve, but it’s worth all the time and effort it requires. Not only can it improve your life, but it can save you in ways you might not have considered. Gather your resources, develop a game plan, and see what sobriety has to offer you.