According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism people who remain sober for one year have a 50% chance of relapsing after. Why is that number so high? For many reasons, one I know is that choosing to live in long-term sobriety is continuous work. You often hear people in this space say “You got to do the work.” And no truer words have been spoken.
We need more and more information and education from people with lived experiences when it comes to addiction recovery. Yes, science helps but the science doesn’t really tell you the “how to” like someone who is actually doing and living it.
In my ten and half years of sobriety from alcohol, I have learned and used a few tools that have helped me with long term Sobriety that I would like to share with you today.
Here are six tips to help you with long term sobriety.
One Day at A Time – Keep this journey simply by staying in today! I know it is easy to future trip, but it will just cause more anxiety and cause overwhelm. Living in today will give you confidence of what you can control in your own actions. Keep shooting for not drinking today.
Supportive Circle – Make sure your circle is full of only supportive friends. Do they need to be sober? Not necessarily, but they do need to support you on your road to recovery. If they’re not supportive of you getting clean and sober, then bottom line, they’re not your friends, and it’s time to move on. Find yourself help with Twelve Step Programs, Therapy, a Sober Coach or some type of Sober Community. Being around people who get it and get the struggle will only help you in the long run. It is a safe space and lean into it.
Protect Your Energy – A must! Stop giving away everything emotionally you got to people, places and things. Protecting your energy will keep you sober. You will not feel so depleted after engagements where it’s going trigger you to drink. Tighten up your boundaries with saying No, limiting interactions with soul suckers and put on your oxygen mask first.
Let Go of Expectations – Throw them out the window! Let go and watch how free you become.
Meditation – For the last seven years, meditation has been a huge tool for me. Within the last four years, I started doing daily meditation to help with my anxiety and handle my reactive behavior. Reflecting inward will help you deal with feelings and help keep you calm. Meditation is key.
Personal development – I cannot say enough good things about this one! With my own recovery journey, I had to address rebuilding me with healthier habits, building confidence, diving into finances, learning to be a happier person and even reparenting myself. Many people I know that have long term sobriety have dived deep into personal development. It helps, I promise.
Remember when times get tough in sobriety, that it’s never worse then the days you spent in your active relationship with alcohol. You can do it; I believe in you.
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