Tips for helping you stay abstinent;
Some say that getting sober is the easy part. Staying sober, however, can be much more challenging. The key to staying sober is replacing bad habits with healthy habits. Booking a trip to the mountains for a cozy weekend, immersing yourself in volunteer work, even organizing your home are all simple ways you can practice self-care and prioritize your recovery by staying busy. Consider the following tried and
true tips if you’re in need of some inspiration for zhuzh-ing up your day-to-day.
1. Learn How to do Fun Things Alone
Daunting as it may seem, learning how to enjoy your own company can be pivotal to sustained recovery. People with an Alcohol use Disorder often spend a lot of time drinking to either run from or numb pain. Mend the relationship with yourself first by introducing new solo activities into your life. Participate in a beach clean-up, take yourself to a museum, read a book or listen to an episode of ‘Busy Living Sober’ by a pool or lake while you soak in some vitamin D.
2. Become a Sponsor
A sponsor-sponsee relationship is intended to strengthen the sobriety of both parties. Typically reserved for someone who’s completed the 12 Steps in AA, becoming a sponsor can make it easier to live without alcohol and inspire the person who is newer to recovery to maintain sobriety through challenges that inevitably come up. As a sponsor, you’ll be tasked with helping your sponsee navigate challenging or triggering situations, being available to them on an as-needed basis. Think of yourself as a cheerleader and a ‘board member,’ guiding someone to make decisions that will help move their progress along.
3. Join a Book or Movie Club
Getting involved in a book or movie club is an excellent way to keep busy and expand your social network. Typically, these hobbies are not synonymous with heavy drinking; therefore, involvement would be low-risk. The actual meetings, whether virtual or in-person, would not only soak up time, but the preparation of watching the films and/or reading the novels would also absorb a portion of your week.
4. Make Your Home a Sanctuary
We spend so much of our time at home. It’s where we cook meals, entertain, unwind from our day, and recharge for the next. Part of staying sober just for today and living one day at a time is ensuring your home is an oasis instead of a trigger. Dedicate half an hour each morning or night to tidying up and decluttering. Feng Shui your home to complement your recovery journey by only filling it with things that spark joy and motivate you to chase your sobriety.
5. Create a Schedule and Stick to it
A solid daily routine is paramount in early recovery. Taking each day at a time becomes easier when you focus on one activity at a time. Maybe it’s as simple as waking up and making your bed or doing something to move your body, like going for a walk, taking a yoga class, or walking your dog. Some people have found benefit in using remote alcohol monitoring systems like Soberlink, which utilize scheduled testing and progress tracking for added accountability and support.
