As anyone who has ever lived with addiction could tell you, sober living is much more challenging than it sounds.
Fortunately, these days we know a lot more about how addiction works. So, thanks to the efforts of specialists and those who have undergone recovery, we now know there are certain things you can do to make your road to recovery a bit easier to traverse.
Do you need a little help navigating your path? Here are a few tips on how to make sure you stay on the right path during your journey to recovery.
Identify Your Warning Signs
One of the most important aspects of remaining clean and sober is learning to identify your triggers and relapse warnings.
Addiction triggers can include everything from highly-specific situations to more nebulous concepts, like stress. Figuring out your triggers will allow you to create healthy ways to avoid or deal with them that don’t include slipping into old habits.
Relapse warnings can include things like seeking out triggering situations or rumination. If you can pinpoint your thought processes ahead of time, you can find ways to break out of that cycle.
Actively Evade Old Habits
One of the most challenging aspects of addiction and recovery is breaking and avoiding old unhealthy habits.
Even habits that may seem innocent enough, like visiting a specific sports bar or hanging out with certain friends, can be enough to trigger a relapse. So, take some time, either with a counselor or therapist or on your own, to identify your most dangerous and damaging habits and take steps to avoid them.
Create Structure
When it comes to staying clean, schedules are your friend. Creating structure in your life is imperative to avoid falling back into unhealthy or dangerous habits.
And, one of the easiest ways to build structure is by creating and sticking to a hard-set daily routine.
From the moment you wake up until you go to sleep, try to lay out a series of specific activities you need to do, and set times when you need to do them. Doing this will keep you busy and distracted — and give you a sense of confidence and accomplishment when you check off everything on your to-do list.
Finding tangible sources of accomplishment is critical when recovering from addiction. So, try to set as many mini-goals for yourself as you can.
Find Support
Finally, one of the best ways to stay the course during your journey to recovery is by creating a support network you can lean on when things get tough. Whether this support group consists of your family and friends, a licensed therapist, or a recovery group, building a network of people you can turn to will help you stay on your path.
That said, trying to find the right recovery support can be easier said than done. Consider consulting your doctor or therapist for help finding the best program to suit your needs.
How to Maintain Sober Living
By following these tips, you’ll be able to maintain sober living and stay on the right track while you navigate your recovery.
Are you looking for more advice on how to deal with addiction? We’ve got you covered. Check out the rest of our blog for more helpful articles today.
