9 Simple Things I Do Every Day To Maintain My Sobriety

How to stay sober and save your mind

Acceptance—one simple word that can mean so much to those in and out of recovery from alcohol or drugs. Whether you are new to recovery, just thinking about getting sober, or have been blessed to experience years in recovery, acceptance is key to long term sobriety. Research shows that some damage to your brain, liver, heart, and gut done by alcohol will slowly heal when you stop drinking. While it’s true that alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be severe, they will not last forever. Once you get through that part of the process, you’ll start to feel better physically and mentally.

There’s no magic recipe for maintaining sobriety long-term.

Triggers for using drugs and alcohol typically are people, places, and things that remind you of your addictive behavior or encourage the use of substances you’re avoiding. One study found that 68% of people treated in a detox unit experienced moderate alcohol withdrawal symptoms. You can expect certain alcohol withdrawal symptoms such as sleep disruption to occur, though some people can experience seizures and other severe symptoms.

How to stay sober and save your mind

Take Care of Your Physical Health

Know your triggers ahead of time, and plan for them by having an exit strategy or, as some in recovery call it, a Plan B — Plan to Be Sober. Get productivity, intentional living and self-care tips so you can go from “busy” to “present” and show up as your best self. Self-acceptance means accepting all facets of oneself. The good and likable parts as well as the parts that are weaker and limited.

Focus on what you are gaining—not what you’re missing.

How to stay sober and save your mind

Staying sober is usually more challenging than getting sober for anyone trying to recover from addiction. Recovering addicts have a 20% to 50% chance of relapse, and this figure can be as high as 80% for individuals who being sober around drinkers are trying to quit without professional help. These percentages can vary significantly depending on a person’s motivation for treatment, the degree of accompanying psychosocial stressors, and psychosocial support.

Navigating Through Social Discrimination While in Recovery

Exercise is essential for your body to function and thrive. In addition, the rush of natural endorphins triggers positive feelings in your body, similar to that of morphine. Now, I must say that I’ve experienced this high, and before I got to that perfect spot, I felt like I was going to throw up. So it was an adventure setting up my first website.

  • If this occurs, continue moving forward in your life and acknowledge that the possibility may occur some time in the future.
  • So choose which one you’ll honestly commit to and benefit from using.
  • Many different addiction treatment programs exist, including family therapy groups, outpatient programs, and inpatient substance abuse treatment centers.
  • If I allow myself too much time to be inside my head, I’ll probably find a way to feel stressed about something or invent a problem.

In many 12-step programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, sobriety means completely abstaining from all drugs and alcohol, and any other addictive substances. To others, it means being in control, but not completely abstaining, such as social drinking and cutting back to an occasional glass of wine. Freedom from the pain of addiction is the beginning. When you really work https://ecosoberhouse.com/ on how to stay sober and practice acceptance in your life, the bounties of sobriety will flow to you. For many beaten down by alcohol and other substances, this seems so far from reality. There are many who have been in your shoes, felt the same pain and hopelessness, and have gone on to find freedom, peace of mind, and happiness they’ve never experienced before.

Mastering the Sober Mindset

  • This includes cancer recurrence or the development of secondary primary tumors (SPTs).
  • Police quickly assured the public that there were no signs of foul play while simultaneously assuring the public that no official cause of death would be announced for quite some time.

Walking helps clear your head, increase circulation, and promote better heart health overall. You need to put your health at the forefront of your day-to-day activities and a 15 minute walk should be possible regardless of the weather or time of day. One of the healthiest things you can do for your brain and body is to work out at a gym.

How to stay sober and save your mind

What Is Sobriety?

Your acts of service can be the motivation you need to keep going when you encounter hard times on your recovery journey. Developing and sticking to an organized daily or weekly routine makes it easy to achieve your goals, including maintaining your sobriety. Sticking to a schedule – like having a 30-minute workout each morning or writing every evening – means you know the task for every moment, and you ensure you accomplish those set tasks.

  • However, there is more to sobriety than not being under the influence at a point in time.
  • Two hugely negative emotions that undoubtedly contribute to relapse is “shame” and “guilt”.
  • When I’m in communion with the Lord, my life goes better.
  • Some people explore living a sober lifestyle to free up time or for the health benefits of giving up alcohol.
  • Believe in yourself and your ability to stay sober.

How to stay sober and save your mind

If you or someone you love is living with an AUD or SUD, Futures Recovery Healthcare is here for you. Our compassionate, experienced, and dedicated team members know how difficult getting help—and accepting an addiction—can be. This denial can run deep and the tricky part is that despite seeing a litany of serious issues as a result of drinking or drug use, the denial often remains.