Soul crushing shame, and despair.
Living a life of active addiction can be full of paralyzing, negative emotions. Every day you promise yourself you’ll quit. Yet, you always find a way to let yourself down.
It seems like no matter how hard you try to stay sober, nothing seems to work. A lot of people mistakingly believe addiction is a matter of will power and choice.
Yet, any addict knows, addiction is about the lack of choice. You didn’t choose to become dependant on a substance, and neither did any of the other 20 million Americans battling an addiction.
Are you trying to close the door to your past, but aren’t sure how?. Read on to learn 3 simple steps you can take today to invest in your sobriety.
1. Publicly Choose to Stay Sober
First, you have to make your choice to be sober, public information. Let your friends and family members know about your choice.
You don’t have to go into details or give them any long explanations. Rather, let them know you’re choosing to be sober. Explain to them that being sober means you won’t be drinking alcohol or using any drugs.
Announcing your decision can seem scary at first. Yet, once you get the words out, you’ll enjoy a strong sense of relief.
You’re no longer in this alone, and now you’re accountable. If you’re still feeling alone, you can learn more about the support available through different recovery programs.
2. Identify What You Can Change
Take a moment and think about all of the things in your life you aren’t happy with. What items on your list are things you can change? What items are out of your control?
Try to identify everything you don’t have any control over. For example, you might list something another person is doing as an upsetting item. The way others act, can be upsetting, but, similar to the weather, its also out of your control.
Stop spending all of your energy trying to change or fix things you don’t have any power over. Instead focus on the things you can work on, like the way you respond when someone gets angry.
3. Eliminate Stress
In order to feel stress, our body has to release cortisol. Chronic exposure to cortisol can cause problems with anxiety, and depression. Either state of mind can make staying sober more difficult.
Here are a few ways to gently reduce daily stress levels.
- Meditate 5 minutes every morning
- Exercise regularly
- Eat healthy foods
- Watch comedies
If you don’t feel like you can do anything to help the stressful situation, remove yourself from it. Find a quiet place to spend 3-5 minutes sitting in stillness, focusing on your breath.
Follow Your Bliss
Another great way to stay sober is by filling up your time with things you love. What are the things in life that bring you joy? Make time each week to invest in doing the activities that can bring a smile to your face.
Lifestyle Hobby loves being your number one source for art, music, sports, and more! Not sure what hobby would be best to fill up your free time?
Maybe it’s time you learn to play a new tune. Check out our article about 5 extraordinary benefits that come from learning an instrument.
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