How to Stay Sober? : 10 Tips for Your Recovery

Mostly, people don’t find it easy to stay sober. However, the more strategies you acquire to identify triggers, manage your sober life, and cope with stress, the easier it is to avoid relapse. If you want to experience the physical advantages of sobriety but are not sure how to stay sober for a month, here are some tips you can follow: 

• Identify Personal Triggers- A big part of preventing your return to substance use disorder is understanding what triggers you: external (people, places, things, and situations) and internal (feelings, thoughts, emotions). The best way to avoid the risks of a triggering event is by identifying and then preparing a plan to avoid them. Some triggers may include: 

Stress  

Relationship issues 

Emotional distress 

Financial crisis 

Job problems 

• People who still do drugs or drink Environmental cues   Acknowledge Relapse Warning Signs- People tend to ignore a relapse's warning signs. Relapse initiates long before you actually go for a drink or use a drug and consists of three phases- emotional, mental, and physical relapse.  Some warning signs of relapse involve:  

Thinking irrationally and behaving irresponsibly  

Returning to addictive thinking patterns  

Indulging in self-defeating and compulsive behaviors  

Thinking of drugs and alcohol abuse to be a logical escape from pain      

• Engage in Meaningful Activities-  Try to indulge in meaningful activities that make you feel better and comfort you and your situation. For example, one of the popular opinions is to exercise to stay sober. The endorphins it produces can help minimize physical withdrawal symptoms, and outdoor activities like hiking produce these same rewards without any risk from drugs or alcohol abuse!   

• Manage Stress- It’s imperative to manage your stress when working towards sobriety. Stressful situations can lead us back into old habits, so it helps if there is an option for activities that reduce the amount of reactive behavior you engage in during these times and help prevent relapse. Meditation, listening to music, yoga, journaling, and breathing exercises all provide significant relief from emotional tension while simultaneously improving self-control abilities.   

• Establish Healthy Relationships- There is no need for you to be alone when recovering from addiction, and your relationships mustn't become toxic. Toxic friends or family members may make relapses more likely; thus, it's essential to develop healthy and robust connections to avoid relapses.   

• Build a Systematic Schedule- The benefits of a structured routine(daily or weekly) are invaluable to achieving sobriety. In addition, developing your own personal systematic schedule will help keep you on track with all the other priorities in life, whether they're short-term or long-term goals!    

• Manage Physical Pain and Symptoms- The best way to deal with physical pain and other withdrawal symptoms is by speaking directly about them. Your doctor can prescribe medications that will ease your discomfort, and never try solving this issue on your own- you must speak up!