Maintaining sobriety in 2019 is more than possible with the right perspective & unparalleled commitment. Learn how to maintain sobriety with three effective tips.
The start of a new year can be a cathartic experience. Like the sunrise of a new day, the dawn of the new year provides you with a new-found hope and motivation to not only set personal goals, but to also strive to achieve those aspirations without judgment or fear of failure.
The mishaps and mistakes of the past are behind you and all that lies ahead is boundless potential and promise. For those progressing in their recovery journey, ringing in the new year with resolutions of sustained sobriety and healthier life choices are a great way to begin with a clean slate and sober perspective.
With the entirety of 2019 in front of you, what choices will you make to not only improve your chances of sustained sobriety but also maintain it through the ups-and-downs associated with everyday life?
The key is to come into the New Year with more than just a positive perspective. Creating a comprehensive list of viable sober-sustaining health choices and personal goals is an excellent way to start the year with a purpose and drive aimed at long-term personal success.
New year, new you is a saying that has recently gained steam due to its insinuation that a new year provides the opportunity to change your personal narrative.
While this perspective is empowering, the new you can only be achieved if you put away old habits and forge healthier routines.
Taking the time to construct a cohesive list of personal goals to begin the year can increase your chances of preventing relapse and setting the tone for years to come.
Maintaining Sobriety in 2019 is More Than Possible
When you look at the struggles with addiction that you’ve had in the past, what stands out as your most problematic influencing factors? Was it the people you affiliated with or the places you spent your time? Was it your inability to process your stress in a healthy manner or the method in which you allowed your emotions to control your decision patterns?
Whichever factors you find standing out as the most prominent, understanding that you can not only control those decisions – but also dramatically improve those behavioral patterns – is essential.
Dealing with a substance use disorder can require clinical interventions to initially achieve sobriety, such as rehabilitation and individual counseling. Sustaining that sobriety requires a commitment to improved decision patterns and lifestyle choices.
You know you have the power to maintain your sobriety because you’ve already conquered the biggest hurdle lying in your path: making the decision to get sober. Once you summoned the courage to verbalize your addiction and seek clinical aid, you destroyed the mystique surrounding your substance use disorder.
From here, the key to success and preventing any future relapse is rooted in healthier decision patterns aimed at improving your total physical and mental health.
3 Ways to Stay Sober
1. Establish Healthier Personal Habits
Taking the time to create a routine focused on improved dietary decisions and physical activities is a great way to maintain your sobriety and continue healing the parts of you that the addiction eroded.
The rehabilitative process is more than simply removing the toxins from your body; it is also about replenishing the amino acids and nutrients depleted by your addiction. This can best be achieved by adjusting the types of foods you eat, the amount of water you ingest on a daily basis, and the time you commit to consistent physical excursion.
2. Take Time to Form and Nurture Positive Social Supports
For a majority of addicts, when they make the decision to begin their recovery journey and turn away from their substance of choice, they also effectively remove a large section of their social network. While this step is essential to avoiding relapse, re-establishing a healthier social support network is just as important.
Making efforts to attend community-based sober support groups or church gatherings can provide a wealth of healthy social connections. This increases your sense of social connectivity and aids in your ability to maintain your sobriety.
3. Focus on You and the Strength Attained through Patience and Prayer
This recommendation is easy to understand but harder to consistently practice. It requires you to not only make the time and effort to simply pause throughout your day in order to collect your thoughts, but to also connect with God during that time.
Initiating an ongoing dialogue with the Creator in order to discuss your past missteps and future aspirations is a tremendous way to manage your stress, quiet your mind, and focus on what truly is important: your happiness and sobriety.
The long-term benefits of effective internal conversation and consistent prayer are time-tested methods of self-maintenance. Making the effort to begin implementing them at the start of a new year is the definition of starting out on a good foot.
Faith-Based Addiction Treatment and Relapse Prevention at Covenant Hills
Take this year day by day, and take time to acknowledge how strong and worthy you are. Acknowledge how far you’ve come.
Should you or a loved one find yourself in a situation where your substance of choice has crept back into your life and you need help getting back on track, we’re here for you.
We work with every aspect of an individual to ensure complete care.
We will focus on healing your entire being – your mind, body and soul – and better help you avoid triggers, prevent relapse, and sustain sobriety moving forward.
This is your life. Make this the year you declare life-long sobriety.
Learn about our gender-specific, faith-based addiction treatment programs, or contact us for a free and confidential assessment. We are available 24/7.
