6 Fun Ways to Live the Sober Life Women’s Rehab in Southern CA

As you meet other sober people, you will find many activities you can do for fun without drugs or alcohol. Many support groups have recreational activities for members to have fun together. Treatment centers can help to keep you safe from the triggers and stressors in your everyday life. Sober living homes can be the next step after completing a treatment program. Recovery can be a linear process, yet you might need to go back if you aren’t ready to move forward. For example, you might complete a sober living program yet do not feel prepared to get back in the real world.

• Once you’ve handled an item on your daily to-do list, scratch it off or note your progress on it.
• The benefits of being sober include real relationships and experiences that you might otherwise miss out on, along with many other good reasons to be sober.
• Community stories from across Colorado and updates on your favorite PBS programs, in your inbox every Tuesday.
• In addition to being able to recognize them, it’s important to know when to seek help.
• So, you should become sober if you want your memory to improve.
• It is good to leave the rest of your life on hold while on vacation and enjoy your time, because we all need a break from time to time.

One of the many ways addiction recovery therapies prepare you to lead a life free of substances is by arming you with positive self-care practices. Meditation is commonly taught, as it is a foundation for mental and emotional stability, as well as growth. Mindfulness meditation for addiction specifically addresses the neurocognitive foundations of addiction, helping to bring psychological balance through awareness. For best results, professionals recommend doing meditation daily — even if only for a short period of time. It may also be helpful to get to know yourself on your own, first. Spending sober time becoming familiar with your body intimately can help you better communicate your needs to someone else when you feel ready for that step.

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Each stage of recovery brings you closer to your goal of long-term sobriety. When you advance to a new phase, tell your loved ones and share your success with them. Addiction is a “chronic brain disease” that is treatable yet not cured. Relapse of any chronic diseases, like asthma and diabetes, can and do occur throughout a person’s lifetime. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.

Now, you can get into different experiences that will add fun, value, and friendships to your life. Seeking a support group committed to helping others can be a beneficial and cost-effective way for you to stay sober. You can explore your options for a support group while in addiction treatment.

Powerful Tips to Get and Stay Sober

That being said, you might not be at a place where you want people to know you’re not drinking, and that’s OK. You can provide an excuse, like that you’re on antibiotics, or you aren’t feeling great or want to feel fresh for something you have going on the next day. It’s important to remember that you never have to give yourself up to make other people comfortable—ever. Whether you’re stating a one-sentence response (“I don’t drink”) or using a small excuse, the only thing to consider is whether you are comfortable, and whether your boundaries are being upheld. “If [sobriety] turns into a trend where people are more sober than not, our health costs in this country will also go down dramatically, so that will be a good thing,” she adds. To go from an addict’s life to a sober life requires professional treatment and support by friends and family and an individual commitment.

However, identifying such reasons to be sober and anticipating an improved life quality and enhanced interpersonal relationships can help you stay motivated to work hard during treatment and recovery. The year 2020 is a great new opportunity to continue growing and learning in sobriety. Addiction recovery isn’t always sunshine and roses, but a little bit of help and support can go a long way.

Let’s take the next steps together

There are exceptions to this, like if someone alludes to their own struggle with alcohol, and then I might offer up a bit more of my personal experience. This isn’t to say that all of your friends will be threatened, or that all of your friendships will change. Some will certainly remain, but even those aren’t necessarily long-game friendships.

• Substance abuse can have a profound impact on your mental clarity, affecting how you think, feel, and make decisions.
• According to the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, the average stay in a sober living program was between 166 and 254 days (at the time of the study).
• To go from an addict’s life to a sober life requires professional treatment and support by friends and family and an individual commitment.

We also offer a range of aftercare services, including support groups, alumni meetings, and counseling to arm you with tools and tips for staying sober. If you’re ready to take control of your life and embark on a sober curious journey, reach out today and let us support you every step of the way. Just as your definition of sobriety and idea of a sober life can differ from other people’s, your reasons for wanting to live substance-free may vary, too. Any person dealing with drug or alcohol dependency or addiction should develop a personal list of reasons why staying sober is a worthy goal. This list can help you put in perspective what you find so valuable that it’s worth the dedication, hard work and effort you put into ceasing alcohol consumption and walking away from drug use. People often abuse drugs and alcohol to cope with difficult life circumstances or to mask feelings of anxiety or stress.

Practice Healthy Living

If your life revolves around your next high or your next drink, then your friends most likely do too. Now that you’re sober, you can start working to develop real friendships with people who actually care about you and value you. Addiction destroys relationships but now you have the chance to develop genuine, lasting relationships with non-drug-using friends and work to repair old ones. While it’s true that some relationships in your life may not be salvageable, many friends and family members are likely willing to work with you to repair the damage that has been done and start over. In fact, you might be surprised to find that many of your loved ones have been waiting to welcome you back into their lives with open arms.

I had a lot of false information on what it meant to have a good time and I had no idea how great it would feel to lead a healthy lifestyle. I didn’t really think it was possible to live life 100% sober, but almost 7 years later, I’ve realized that it has been the best decision I have ever made. It frees you https://stylevanity.com/2023/07/top-5-questions-to-ask-yourself-when-choosing-sober-house.html from these things that hold you back, giving you the opportunity to have deeper and more meaningful connections and engage in activities that bring you joy. Sobriety can also help improve your mental health, reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety and helping you experience a greater sense of well-being.

So if all of your friends drink alongside you, then there’s no issue, right? Well, there’s a concept in psychology known as “confirmation bias,” and it means that we often look for evidence to support something that we already believe to be true. Personally, I always thought drunk people were fun, and I didn’t want my own poop relationship with alcohol to stand out.