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This can be knitting, sewing, writing, painting, coloring, etc. These activities can help you reduce your overall stress levels. Massage helps your immune system, is nurturing, and can lift you up even on the worst day. They improve your circulation, can be relaxing, and reduce muscle tension. “If you want to maintain the friendship, see a movie or do an activity with them that does not involve alcohol,” says Hafeez.
- For many people, it starts out as a social lubricant and then turns into a social crutch.
- Or maybe you hated yourself because you couldn’t stop abusing substances.
- Getting sober significantly eased the presence of most of these maladies, and the basic process of eliminating alcohol from my at-home (and Covid-induced lockdown) routine was bizarrely easy.
If you’ve cut out other substances along the way, you may prefer describing your journey as living “clean” rather than just sober. Ultimately, it is always safer for problem drinkers to completely abstain from alcohol in order to avoid the risk of relapse. Living a sober life means abstaining from the use of alcohol and drugs.
You’re less stressed and anxious.
In addition to getting active, find sober activities that you can enjoy. This could be going for walks, reading, writing, listening to music, or sober house spending time with new friends and supportive family. When you have things to do that don’t involve drugs or alcohol, it’s easier to stay sober.
I think that it is the process of having to work for everything again that makes us appreciate it even more. People in long term recovery know how fragile this can be and therefore learn to value these things more than they did before. There are some people that I had to let go of when I first got sober, and some people that eventually fell out of my life because our lifestyles became incompatible. One of the reasons I had such a problem with alcohol was that I used it for everything.
Ways Life is Better When You’re Sober
Once sober, you can use this ability to make up for lost time and make new friendships. One of the many benefits of sobriety is that you’ll get a fresh start on repairing these broken relationships. All you need to do is take responsibility for your past wrongs and prove to your family and friends that you’re now sober and trustworthy again.
What is the hardest part of getting sober?
For many people, the first few weeks of sobriety are the hardest. You may have withdrawal symptoms that are physically and emotionally uncomfortable. Cravings are also common during this time, which can tempt you to relapse. Treatment can help you get through this challenging period.
Your sleep patterns may be altered and you may not think about eating healthy when you’re under the influence. Substance misuse can also affect your immune system and your digestive system. There are many effects of using drugs or alcohol that go beyond feeling high or drunk. There are alcohol blackouts, meaning you don’t remember anything that happens. When you’re in recovery, you don’t have to think about the effects of hangovers or blackouts.
Getting the Support You Need
People may depend on you, so always take care of your responsibilities and never let your family down. We all have things that we love to do, so if you don’t already have a hobby, figure out what you love to do and do it. Keep trying different things until you decide what you like to do best.
If you turned to alcohol or drugs as a means of coping with a bad relationship, then it’s crucial that you get out of that relationship. Aside from being part of a pretty awesome sober society, it’s important to realize how to enjoy life sober. Not only that but sober life these days is becoming a lot more of a norm for many.
Who Are Your Friends?
This also means that living a sober life will help you gain your energy back. When living a sober life after addiction, your overall health improves immensely. This is because you’re no longer attacking your body by putting dangerous amounts of toxic substances in it. There are many people living sober lives that don’t turn to drugs to numb their emotions or seek a high. While being sober doesn’t guarantee a happy life, using drugs ensures one is trapped in a downward spiral of addiction. A vital component of a successful sobriety lifestyle is developing healthy relationships with people in your life.