Sobriety Strategies: 13 Tips for Staying Sober

When you are asleep, your brain is just as active as when you are awake, proving the brain is active and busy restoring your health. Do you have questions about mental illness, mental health treatments or resources to get help in your community? Simply click the button below to contact a Resource Specialist. First and foremost, I wanted to say congratulations on your sobriety and thank you for sharing as this can bring hope and light to those reading this post. I am happy to hear that you are starting to feel like your old self. Recovery can be a long and hard fight but always remember it is worth it all.

Ask for extra hours at work if you’re having a hard time with roommates. Head out of town with some sober friends for a few hours to get a change of scenery. “You look great.” It is a statement you will often hear after getting sober. Your appearance and hygiene were not a significant concern in the height of your alcohol or substance use disorder. You were likely underweight, and your clothing was draping your body since you couldn’t afford new. A lack of nourishment makes your skin unhealthy, and you may have dealt with rashes, marks, or itching.

Practice Sober Skills

Hangover symptoms including nausea, vomiting, headaches and brain fog can last for days in some cases and can diminish your quality of day-to-day life. When you’re using drugs or alcohol, you can feel like you’re skating through life, but never really feeling or being in any of the moments. Living a drug-free life or an alcohol-free life means not only that you can be present, but that you’ll remember everything in your life in a clear-headed way. This is an opportunity to assert for your needs, and therefore assert your worth. It’s seen as normal to drink, and quitting that drug can feel like breaking a social pact.

For example, those with depression often have lower levels of endorphins. Drugs help artificially boost endorphin levels for a short period, so addicts feel happy and calm. However, once the chemical levels of these hormones drop again, users feel depressed again. Drug abuse can have devastating effects on your mental health and disrupt your body’s natural hormone levels and cycles. It’ll take some time, but your body’s chemistry levels will slowly return to normal after recovery. This means you’ll feel happier, more energized, and more refreshed as time goes on. For example, if people at work invite you to go out to the grab a drink, it can help to have a pre-scripted response ready.

Identify Your Personal Triggers

When struggling with an addiction, drugs become all that matters. Think about your relationship with people who meant being sober around drinkers the world to you before the addiction. Most of the problems probably stem from actions taken when addicted.

• Whether old or new, relationships are the cornerstone of a successful recovery.
• Mixing different types of alcoholic drinks can rapidly bring up BAC levels and make a person feel and appear intoxicated much more quickly than if they stick to one kind only.
• Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.
• In social situations where people are drinking, you might feel more comfortable with a drink in your hand.

Like you said you will begin to appreciate your sobriety but most importantly you will begin to appreciate your journey. I’ve seen so many people get sober, and even after 10 years, some say that life isn’t worth living, and the rest just think it’s boring and depressive.

Build Healthy Relationships

Sober living allows you to regain the positive aspects of your life, to access and experience them wholeheartedly. Without drugs or alcohol, you will begin to understand feelings of appreciation, love, support, joy, connection. You will create moments with loved ones, remember them, and hold them closely. You will shape a life that is worth living— a life that is mentally, psychologically, and physically positive. Acknowledging and celebrating the hard work of recovery is helpful for keeping you motivated and reminding you why you took this brave step toward sobriety in the first place.

After all, you can’t hang around your drug dealer or old drinking buddies and expect to remain sober for very long. If you were spending a lot of your time drinking and in places where alcohol use is likely, you may need to find new ways to spend your time. Choose ways to reduce stress in your life for a double whammy of wellness. You don’t even need to drink to have a great time. See if you can find a sober bar in your neighborhood that specializes in fancy virgin cocktails. If you feel pressure to drink in certain social situations or around certain acquaintances, you may need to rethink whether those are good places for you. Good friends will understand what you’re trying to do and support you.

START YOUR RECOVERY JOURNEY TODAY

And that is the greatest benefit of all because you can finally start to think about how you factor into the universe. Addicts drink and abuse drugs like there’s no tomorrow because their brains have been reprogrammed not to think about tomorrow — tomorrow is their long term goal and they’re busy living for today. Once you’re sober, it’s fascinating to reflect on how much time you really have. Alcohol messes with our rewards system in the brain, causing us to https://ecosoberhouse.com/ seek out substances that provide immediate gratification. This is what leads many people suffering from Alcohol Use Disorder to see all activities as a means to an end. For true addicts, it’s not simply drinking alcohol, it’s how often they spend thinking about it. Hangover effects can cause you to miss out on even more of your life because you’re sick or in bed and unable to do the things you love or interact with the people in your life that you care about.