8 Unexpected Strategies That Help You Get and Stay Sober 

Staying sober is about more than not using anymore. It’s about changing one’s life in order to be healthy. That can mean something different for everyone. However, no matter their struggle, each person in recovery must learn how to stay sober. 

It isn’t easy, but nobody has to figure out their journey alone. In this piece we’ll explore 8 strategies to stay sober. By keeping them in mind, a person can navigate the road to recovery more easily.

1. Avoid Risky Situations

Risk factors can undermine a person’s sobriety journey and often precede alcohol use after abstinence. These situations can include places, such as airports and all-inclusive resorts. Alongside holidays, relapse risk can also be heightened through emotional and behavioral factors, as well as situations that come from daily life. 

Examples of risky attributes can be a low belief in one’s ability to control their substance use and an association of substance use with positive outcomes. Spending time in isolation or where one used to use substances can also increase relapse risk. As well, a risky situation can be one where a person is exposed to substance use in a professional or personal environment.

2. Build a Support Network

Nobody has to recover alone. By building a supportive community around themselves, a person working towards sobriety can be prepared for the struggles ahead. And support networks are about more than just close friends. Even if their relationships aren’t as deep as they once were, a person can still go to counseling and family therapy. Plus, they can seek out new, sober friends to support them and accompany them to higher-risk social events like parties or weddings.

Peer Support Groups like Alcoholics Anonymous also serve as a backbone for a person’s support network. These programs are easy to access and offer community support, encouraging a person to continue their engagement in recovery.

3. Keep Busy

Boredom actually can lead to substance use, as people will turn to drugs or alcohol in order to elevate their mood. Thus, alleviating boredom is important for recovery. A great way to do this is to find employment. Going to work can serve as a distraction, provide a structured environment, and offer a sober safe space. In addition, a person could pick up hobbies such as journaling, art, or music. By filling their life with fun and engaging activities, a person will have a better chance of staying sober.

4. Manage Stress

Stress is an inevitability of recovery. When life becomes stressful, it can be tempting to turn to substance use in order to cope. This temporary relief, however, doesn’t address the damage that stress or substance use causes. Instead, a person should learn to cope with stress by turning to sober friends or loved ones for support. They can also engage in stress-lowering activities to stay healthy and positive, such as making time for exercise, eating a balanced diet, and sleeping a healthy amount.

5. Find a Meaningful Activity

Just as it’s helpful to fill one’s life with work and hobbies, it’s also important to find a fulfilling activity to engage in. For example, a person in recovery could implement an exercise routine in their daily life, releasing feel-good brain chemicals called endorphins. They could also spend time making positive change by volunteering or engaging with their community. The point is for a person to do something satisfying that makes them feel good.

6. Practice Self-Care

Poor self-care can actually lead to relapse. Thus, it’s paramount that a person in recovery attend to their emotional, psychological, and physical needs. HALT, an acronym that stands for “hungry, angry, lonely”, and “tired,” serves as a reminder of what poor self-care looks like. Sleeping well, attending to hygienic needs, and eating a healthy diet are all basic forms of self-care. Emotional self-care is equally as important. A person in recovery needs to make time for themselve, be kind to themselves, and give themselves permission to have fun.

A person can also engage in self-care by participating in relaxing activities. This can be anything from yoga and meditation, to walks in nature, relaxing baths, reading sessions, and listening to music.

7. Manage Physical Pain

Because certain pain medication can increase the chance of relapse, doctors will be careful with what they prescribe. Thus, it’s helpful to learn to manage pain through nonmedical means. Acupuncture, for example, is one of the most widely used alternatives for pain management by people with substance use disorder. Other options include yoga and physical therapy.

In addition, cognitive behavioral therapy can play a role in pain management. By addressing maladaptive thinking and behaviors such as catastrophizing, cognitive behavioral therapy can change how a person conceptualizes their pain.

8. Celebrate Milestones Big and Small

When in recovery, it’s important to celebrate milestones. By rewarding themselves for their successes, people in recovery can give themselves something to look forward to. As well, celebrating milestones can give a person the chance to acknowledge their successes and provide positive opportunities to strengthen bonds with loved ones. A person can see just how far they’ve come and look forward to the journey ahead.

Stay Sober with SoberMind Recovery

Sobriety is about more than simply not drinking. It is about taking care of oneself, finding a community, dealing with stressors in a healthy way, and looking positively towards the future. By keeping these strategies in mind, a person can increase their chances of staying sober. 

However, not everyone is in the same step of their recovery journey. If you or a loved one is struggling with substance use disorder, SoberMind Recovery can help. With LGBTQ+ sober living and dual diagnosis treatment at our state-of-the-art Los Angeles treatment center, we offer support tailored to your needs. Contact us today to learn more.