3 Tips for Staying Sober in Early Recovery
Early stages of recovery can be exciting and scary at the same time. You may feel like you’re one wrong turn from a relapse. If you’re newly sober and want some tips for staying sober in early recovery, this article is for you.
If you are still concerned and think you may need some help, you’re in luck. You don’t have to face your early recovery all alone.
The good news is that you can find sober companion services to help you maintain your sobriety. So, let’s check out three tips for staying sober early in recovery and then discuss how you can get a sober companion to help you remain successful.
1. Your Recovery Must Come First
The number one tip for staying sober early in recovery is that you must put your recovery first. If you’re married or have children, they can’t come before your recovery. Think about how much more love you can provide for the people in your life that you care about once you are living healthy and happy again.
So, for example, if you enjoy going to Alcoholics Anonymous on Friday and your husband wants to go fishing all day on Friday, you will have to let him go fishing by himself. The meeting is what you do for your recovery— it must come before everything else. Your husband will forgive you because it means you care for yourself.
If your boss invites you to go out to dinner after work and you know that they will eat at a restaurant with a bar. If you feel you aren’t ready to be around alcohol, skipping the evening out with your colleagues is best.
That’s not to say you’ll never be able to go out with them again after work, but it may be a good idea to decline the invitation early in your recovery. It’s so important that you put your recovery before everything else in your life to maintain sobriety.
2. Develop a Routine
One of the major things people get away from that are good to have in life is routine and structure. One of the most important things to do early in recovery is to set a routine for yourself. If you aren’t back at work yet, this can be challenging.
Figure out a good time to wake up every morning. Practice some form of self-care when you first wake up. You could meditate or journal before you drink your coffee. Then pick a time when you eat breakfast. Next, you could exercise or go for a walk. Then you have lunch and so on until it’s time for bed.
Once you have a routine in place, stick to it as best as possible. When you have a schedule of activities for the day, your mind has less time to wander off and think about drugs or alcohol.
3. Figure Out What Your Triggers Are and Avoid Them
You know the saying, change your people, places, and things. This is especially true when you are early in your recovery. You will have to set boundaries with old friends that drink or use. Sometimes you must drive the long way home, so you don’t drive by the house or bar where you used to drink.
If going to family holiday parties is going to tempt you to drink, politely decline any invitations until you’ve been clean or sober long enough that you feel comfortable being around others drinking.
Emotions can also be huge triggers for people if you used to drink anytime you felt negative feelings. You’ll have to find something new to do when you get mad. You can choose to talk to someone like a sober coach. You can start exercising or running when you get upset.
Find some healthy alternatives anytime these emotions come up.
Try Sober on Demand’s Sober Companion Services
The road to recovery can be challenging, but it gets better the longer you are on it. If you are new to recovery or thinking about getting sober, you should consider sober companion services. A sober companion is a person who can be with you in the early stages to help you avoid triggers, stay on a routine, and keep your recovery first.
At Sober on Demand, our sober companions have been in your shoes and know what works and what doesn’t. So, choose our sober companion services today, and let’s get your life back on track.
