Working towards sobriety can be challenging. Beginning a new life stage can often be even harder. At first, your focus is likely to be on withdrawal symptoms. From there, you’ll need to work to overcome cravings for drugs or alcohol. If you’ve been struggling with addiction for years, it can be jarring to try to step back into your normal routine. It will be a long transition back to normalcy. You’ll need to make significant life changes, follow the right steps, and be dedicated to the process if you want to be successful. If you’re working towards recovery, you’ll want to take these ten steps to make the process easier for you.
Don’t Rush Into Things
People often feel ready to take on life after working through addiction. Unfortunately, these people may feel discouraged once they try to get back into the swing of things. You should absolutely try to stay positive and make the most of life, but you should be careful not to put too much on your plate. It will take time to adjust to life without drugs or alcohol. Take things one step at a time.
Apologize
Addicts often engage in behaviors that hurt or harm the people around them. Although the people you love may be glad to see you working towards sobriety, you should be aware that people might still hold feelings of animosity toward you because of your past behavior. Because of this, you should focus on apologizing to anyone you might have hurt. Don’t stop with a verbal apology; actively take steps to heal damage you caused.
Ask About Expectations
In addition to issuing apologies, it can also be helpful to have conversations with friends and family members about their expectations of you. What kind of behavioral changes would they like to see? Is there anything they need from you? Many people start abusing drugs or alcohol when they are fairly young. It’s important to remember that a lot has changed since the last time you were sober. You’re going to be getting a fresh start in a lot of your relationships, which is why it can be helpful to lay some ground rules. This can benefit both you and your loved ones. If you’ve been struggling with addiction for years, it’s likely that has changed the way people perceive and behave towards you. People may have high expectations for you now that you’re sober again. Having these discussions now can put everyone on the same page. It’s also a great way to ensure that expectations are reasonable.
Follow Through
Discussing what people expect of you is one step. The next step will be to follow through on those expectations. You’ve managed to overcome addiction. From here, you need to alter many of your other habits. You might take on more obligations or take steps to earn back the trust of the people in your life. If you reach out to people and ask them what they expect of you, they might be impressed that you considered them in this process. That makes it all the more important to follow through on the steps you said you would take and the things you claimed you would do. This isn’t just something you should do in the short term. You need to make lasting lifestyle changes. Search for couples rehab near me to embark on the journey together.
Make New Sober Friends
It’s likely that there are people in your friends circle that you used to use drugs or alcohol with. Now that you’re sober, these people may say that you have their full support. However, these aren’t safe people for you to be around. Some of your friends may genuinely support you in your efforts. However, because they’re still struggling with substance abuse, they’re on a different path than you are. Beyond that, being around these people can put you in a situation where you’re tempted to get drunk or high, even if they avoid drugs and alcohol while you’re around you. Instead of clinging to these relationships, you should work to build new, healthier friendships. Focus on maintaining your sobriety and building a better life for yourself going forward. Cutting contact with old friends isn’t easy, but it’s worth it for the sake of your health.
Pick Up New Hobbies
Addiction can consume your time and your thoughts. Even when you weren’t drinking or abusing drugs, it’s likely that you were thinking about the next opportunity you’d have to use. Now that you’ve worked through addiction, you’re going to have more time on your hands. What are you going to do with it? There’s a hole in your life right now that was once filled by drugs and alcohol. Now, it’s time for you to fill that hole with something new and better. This is a great time to pick up a new hobby. You may also want to take college classes, start volunteering, or even devote time to self-care activities, such as mindfulness or meditation. This is a new stage of your life. Now is a great time to look into the things you always wanted to try.
Make Sure You’re Getting Exercise
When you were an addict, you may not have spent a lot of time at the gym. While overcoming substance abuse can have a positive impact on your health, there are other steps you should take as well. Once you start exercising on a consistent basis, you’ll see a number of benefits. You’ll have more energy, you’ll feel more confident, and you’ll see a noticeable improvement in your health. There are all kinds of ways for you to get the exercise you need. You could start going for a jog in the morning, spend time swimming, or even take a dance class. There are countless options available to you. If you take a class or join a gym, you’ll also be able to connect with new people that are focused on healthy living. This can provide you with additional support. You can form new friendships that will help to keep you on a healthy path.
Change Your Diet
It’s common for addicts to eat an unhealthy diet. Right now, it’s possible that your body is recovering from an extended period of malnourishment. That makes it all the more important for you to give your body the vitamins and nutrients it needs now. Make sure you stay hydrated and limit your coffee intake. Focus on eating fresh fruits and vegetables and lean proteins. Limit your intake of sugar, harmful fats, and junk food. You don’t have to overhaul your entire diet overnight. However, you should gradually transition to eating in a healthier way. As you make these changes, you’ll begin to see a difference. You’ll feel less fatigued, your hair and skin will look healthier, you’ll have a stronger immune system, and your health will be improved. If you’re seriously malnourished, you may want to talk to your doctor about supplements as well.
Build Healthy Sleep Habits
It’s likely that you didn’t have healthy sleep habits when you were an addict. You might have stayed up all night long and then crashed during the way. There may have been periods where you went days throughout sleep. You may have woken up in the middle of the night looking for a fix. These kinds of sleep issues are common for addicts. Once you start getting eight hours of sleep each night, you’ll be able to see the difference. Sleep is crucial to your health and well-being. It can improve your mood, leave your mind sharp, elevate your energy levels, help you fight off illness, and so much more. Try to go to bed at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each day. When you practice good sleep hygiene, it’s easier to get the rest that you need.
