With the right tips to stay sober, you can make the recovery process much less challenging. Read our five tips to help you stay sober to learn more about how you can improve your recovery.
1. Avoid Risky Situations
Risky situations can include going to places where you used to misuse a substance or hanging out with a group of people who used drugs. You will want to stay away from these situations as best as possible. Taking a new way home or blocking these individuals’ phone numbers can help you reduce risk.
2. Plan Your Response
Someone may ask you why you’re sober, whether it’s an old friend or family you don’t see often. Planning your response to these questions can help you along your recovery journey. For close friends or relatives, you can explain that substance misuse became a problem and you wanted a solution.
Keep it simple for people you don’t know as well by explaining you have other priorities, like getting up early for work. Instead, you could leave it at, “I quit for health-related reasons.”
3. Work Through Physical Pain
If you become injured or require surgery, you’ll want to pay close attention to the medications your doctor prescribes. Your doctor should know your history and be mindful of what medications they provide. Additionally, you can advocate for yourself by asking if there are other ways to manage pain, like acupuncture, massage and physical therapy.
4. Find Ways to Relax
Relaxation is vital in everyone’s lives, especially those on a recovery journey. These techniques can help you find more productive ways to spend your time while calming down. You may want to try various activities until you determine the right ones for your journey. Common examples include:
- Taking a walk.
- Listening to or playing music.
- Doing yoga.
- Reading a book.
- Going for a massage.
- Engaging in breathing exercises and meditation.
While these are just a few examples, you may want to try these and other methods you come up with. Relaxation is personal, so it’s important to find what works for you.
5. Connect With a Peer Support Group
Several peer support groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA), are helpful during recovery journeys. While these are well-known, you can often find other support groups online or locate apps that help you build connections with other people.
Get Help With Your Recovery at Crest View Recovery Center
If you or a loved one is on the road to recovery — no matter how far along — Crest View Recovery Center is here to help. Learn more about our programs today by calling us or filling out an online form.
