There are many benefits to sobriety and its long-term milestones. Committing to an alcohol-free reality can be life-changing, offering physical, psychological, financial, and personal benefits.
Yet before experiencing those benefits, detoxing, rehabilitating, and working towards sobriety will all be essential. From here, remaining sober will require ongoing efforts and focus on managing long-term recovery.
By following our guide here at Asana Lodge, making a strong start will be possible. Here are some proactive steps on how to stay sober to incorporate into your everyday life post-withdrawal. No matter how strong your alcohol habits may have been, there is a chance to turn your life around and avoid relapse.
Reach out to our team for further advice on staying sober for a month, for a year, and the many upcoming sobriety milestones.
The Benefits Of Staying Sober
For the average person, sobriety can influence many benefits surrounding health and wellbeing. Regular drinking habits can impact mental health, overall functionality, energy levels and outlooks. Health benefits are expected for those who commit to and complete the go sober for the October campaign, known as Stoptober.
Improved mental health, greater quality sleep, increased energy levels, weight loss and less bloating are some of the benefits encountered over a month. Now envision how those benefits can elevate and cement themselves by staying sober for the future.
For those struggling with alcohol problems, understandably, a month-long campaign will not secure a lifetime of sobriety. Yet, it’s a step in the right direction, which will help to motivate and kickstart the recovery process. You can take part yet continue your efforts by following our below guide on how to stay sober.
There are additional benefits to sobriety, which you can encounter by acknowledging and overcoming your drinking habits. They include financial savings, repaired relationships, improved wellbeing and health, a longer and greater quality of life, and increased positivity, for the future. Going and staying sober can be life-changing and even saving for some. Benefit from this commitment by reaching out here at Asana Lodge.
How To Stay Sober
Following each of these tips, step by step will help to educate and prepare you for sobriety. They will also help you form a lifestyle, which you can sustain, to follow your intentions of staying sober.
Be aware of your personal triggers
Your personal triggers could be anything from your stress levels, your environments, or your relationships. Something or someone will trigger your urges to consume alcohol, either to a binge or addiction level. Being aware of your personal triggers is a good starting point to be prepared for future high-risk situations.
For example, if you’re aware that your environment is causing you to crave alcohol, awareness will help you make some proactive changes to reduce future influences.
Understand and look for relapse signs
It’s also essential to understand and be observant of the signs and symptoms of relapse. A relapse can occur, primarily through early recovery, through emotional, mental, and physical signs. By observing your ongoing reactions, you’ll be aware of any possible obstacles, helping you instead stay sober.
Avoid high-risk situations
High-risk situations will be those where alcohol exposure is high and where your personal triggers will likely react. With an understanding of both your triggers and signs of relapse, staying out of risky situations will be possible.
By developing a relapse prevention plan, you’ll also have coping strategies, motivations, and guidance to work through possible risks.
Prepare for post-acute withdrawal symptoms (PAWS)
PAWS are a typical response to sobriety. By quitting alcohol, both the body and brain will react in shock, displayed through withdrawal symptoms. For someone who’s heavily abused alcohol, those symptoms can be acute.
Throughout recovery and long-term sobriety, PAWS can display, making it challenging to stay sober. By preparing for them, with medical backing, you’ll be ready to surpass any symptoms.
Change up routines and habits
Your current routines and habits may be enabling your consumption. How to stay sober focuses on change and self-development. To remain sober, you’ll need to make your lifestyle a sustainable one.
Following a routine that disallows alcohol exposure and any negative habits is recommended. An element of control will be present as you work through long-term recovery, helping you make adjustments to your routine.
Follow a proactive structure and schedules
Your choices within your schedule should also be proactive. From the people, you associate with and the hobbies that you partake in, and the distractions you have, you can develop a sober lifestyle as a choice rather than a chore.
Find a community
Support will be available whether you prefer face-to-face support groups, online forums, or campaign-led communities. As mentioned above, a like-minded community will be at your disposal through Stoptober, a sober driven campaign to reduce/stop consumption. Becoming a part of such a quality community can help you set your intentions, gain some accountability, meet like-minded people, experience peer support, and continue your sober efforts beyond October.
Make healthy lifestyle choices
Your lifestyle will impact your choices, feelings, and outlooks. If you’re feeling sluggish, low, or weak, relapse risks will increase. If you’re instead feeling strong, happy, motivated, and energised, risks are known to reduce.
Making healthy lifestyle choices will reduce your urges to consume alcohol, improve your mental health, and lower the desirability of alcohol and its side effects. A healthy lifestyle will be easier to maintain for the long term rather than an alcohol-fuelled one.
Learn to look beyond past mistakes
Everyone makes mistakes. Alcohol problems and addictions are common. By withdrawing and recovering, you will have already progressed in the right direction. Now is the time to look beyond your past mistakes and forgive yourself, to embrace and stay sober.
Self-awareness and acceptance are powerful whilst making such life-changing adjustments.
Look for professional help
Along with some self-help, professional help will benefit you through this time. If you’re struggling to remain sober, if you’re finding it hard to reduce relapse risks, or if you require additional treatment, aftercare is offered via alcohol rehab.
A wealth of supportive services are available here at Asana Lodge, which can help you recover and prolong your efforts. Reach out to develop the tools that benefit long-term recovery or further tips on staying sober.
If you’re looking to get clean, post-addiction, professional and medical guidance will be essential. If you’re looking to reduce your alcohol intake or suppress your habits, Stoptober will be a great starting point, offering full accountability and support.
Source
https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/advice/how-to-reduce-your-drinking/go-sober-for-october
