40 Tips For Staying Sober Under Pressure

Midwest Recovery Center tailors a treatment plan that seeks to treat the whole person. Below are some tips you can gain from a sober living program that will help you get back on your feet so you can begin to enjoy a life free from drugs and alcohol. A relapse is not a moral failing or a sign that you’ll never be able to get sober. Though staying free, clean, and sober long-term is the main goal, your immediate focus should be developing healthy coping mechanisms and habits. These mechanisms and habits will be different for each person, so it’s important to figure out what works for you. After all, everyone has different reasons for getting sober.

• For many of the reasons mentioned earlier, substance abuse tends to ramp up over the holidays.
• For years, maybe even decades, you have linked your enjoyment with substance abuse.
• It’s not just your drinking buddies and drug dealers who can get you into trouble—sometimes those who are closest to you can contribute to a relapse.
• Embrace new traditions and keep in mind that recovery is a one-day-at-a-time endeavor, no matter the season.
• Walk through your day-in-the-life scenario and imagine what it looks like to have lost your sobriety and goals.

As we learn during addiction rehab and in the meeting rooms, recovery is a one-day-at-a-time endeavor, no matter the season. On top of that, you can’t attend your home group meeting, and you haven’t heard from your sponsor in two days. Here are seven tried-and-true tips and strategies that will prepare you for the holidays, help you avoid relapse and protect you from any uncomfortable situations. PAWS includes symptoms such as sleep troubles, irritability, depression, or intermittent anxiety.

Host your own sober party.

Create some goals for yourself to remind yourself of what you’re working towards. Service to others can also include several other actions that allow you to get out of your self and give your time and energy to good causes. You can volunteer at a shelter, serve meals at a soup kitchen, or https://ecosoberhouse.com/ do service work for your church. Healthy eating improves overall mood, health, and can help prevent ups and downs that can affect your cravings. Not only should you be eating lots of healthy food, veggies, fruits and lean proteins you should also be aware of how much and how often you eat.

Part of recovery involves an honest look in the mirror and acknowledgment of our weaknesses. For this coping method, sit down and take stock of what feelings lead you to relapse or near-relapse. These can be feelings of anger,shame, loneliness or tiredness. Along with each feeling, list one or more healthy ways to address the feeling, such as calling a friend for loneliness. When a craving starts to build, take out your list and ask yourself what you’re really feeling deep down. Then, address the feeling without resorting to your addictive behavior using the healthy responses you have included in your list.

Have your props ready.

When you have Substance Use Disorder, your body seeks to prevent death and injury by changing to a state opposite that of the drug’s effect. You may want to start an exercise routine — exercise releases brain chemicals called endorphins, which can make you feel good. Or you might rather spend time volunteering for a good cause, like an animal shelter or children’s hospital. Whatever it is, new activities can lead to new friends with interests like yours. If you’re involved in a 12-step program, you likely already know the importance of milestones. In these programs, it’s customary to receive plastic chips as you progress to the one-year mark, at which time you receive a bronze coin.

A Friday-night yoga class instead of drinks after work. A Monday-morning workout that sets us up for the week. A sober Saturday night tips to stay sober with friends, followed by waking up Sunday morning with the energy to exercise. This is the essence of treating ourselves kindly.

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Always have a challenging goal in the back of your mind; something that pushes you to be better and reach new heights. Speak to yourself with loving, supportive, encouraging words. The responsibility of a pet will add more structure to your lifestyle, and the unconditional love that animals offer is truly irreplaceable. Now that you’re in recovery, treat yourself to a massage or a new pair or shoes to celebrate how far you’ve come. Don’t put too much pressure on one short stay in rehab. Worrying about slipping back into old destructive patterns can consume your mind.