15 Tips for Maintaining Sober Living

Staying clean and sober is a choice. It is a decision made every hour of every day and can be supported by the environment, habits, and people one invites into one’s life. Implement these 15 tips to stay motivated on your path to addiction recovery and beyond.

1. When in the initial months of addiction recovery, your objective is to make it to the end of the day without using an addictive substance.
2. There is no “I can handle just one drink.” Practice abstaining from all alcohol or drugs.
3. Take care of your physical body with exercise and healthy eating.
4. Create new relationships with positive, supportive people who want the best for you. Eliminate bad influences from your life.
5. Reconnect with those that have become distant due to substance abuse.
6. Be accountable and responsible for your actions.
7. Join a support group and take advice and give support to others in the 12-step recovery process.
8. Practice forgiveness. Resentfulness and grudges are hard crosses to bear. Forgiveness is part of the 12-step recovery process and allows love back in and makes those who practice it feel unburdened.
9. Stop the self-pity act. Create actionable steps to get you towards your goals. Self-pity creates a sense that one is not responsible for actions today because of mitigating circumstances. Stay in control and go forward.
10. Use tools to manage stress. Meditation, walking, and journaling can all help reduce the feeling of stress on the body and create more self-awareness. Turn to hobbies such as crafting or playing an instrument to take a break.
11. Create a schedule and regular events to stay busy. Enjoy the company of friends and family. Accomplish goals. Take on extra projects. This is important in the first few months of sober living.
12. Develop a network of people that you can talk with and turn to when you need an ear or need some motivation to stay sober.
13. Meet other people. Take on a social hobby, such as a cooking or dancing class. Learn new skills and engage productively with others.
14. Write down 5 things that you are grateful for daily. A gratitude journal is a way to be aware of the gifts around us and appreciate our journey.
    

    Sober living is easier when you remember what you’re grateful for. Write down what you’re thankful for each day in a journal.

15. Use extra time to update job skills or go back to school. Enable yourself to gain confidence, and possibly a promotion, with attention to your education.