16 Ways Life is Better When You’re Sober

All research on the Coastal Detox website, including images, texts and graphics, is strictly for informational purposes. Please do not ignore information from your doctor because of something you saw on the Coastal Detox website. If you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. https://www.healthworkscollective.com/how-choose-sober-house-tips-to-focus-on/ Many people find that faith in a”Higher Power” helps get them through the day. By believing in something greater than themselves, they give over their problems to something stronger. At first, it might seem like torture to get through a day without a drink, a pill, or something else.

When one is an addict, any and all extra money goes towards getting drunk or high. Even money that should go towards things like eating healthy or getting the car’s oil changed on time eventually gets siphoned off towards fueling the substance abuse. There is such a huge misconception in our culture that you have to drink alcohol in order to have fun. For many people, it starts out as a social lubricant and then turns into a social crutch. When I was drinking all the time I didn’t want to do anything in the evening that would require me to be sober.

Your relationships improve.

Once you do return to work, it’s important to create a budget and take steps to safeguard yourself as work stress can be a relapse trigger. Consider reaching out to a vocational rehabilitation counselor or career coach to help you update your resume, practice job interview skills, and locate jobs that match your skills and experience. Hosted by therapist Amy Morin, LCSW, this episode of The Verywell Mind Podcast shares how to avoid repeating mistakes and build better habits. If PAWS is severe or if you’re experiencing prolonged symptoms, a medical professional can help you work through them and remain in recovery without relapse.

In essence, it’s the condition of not having any measurable levels or effects from alcohol or drugs. Some fellowships like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) define sobriety as achieving a good level of mental health. To many, this seems like a more realistic approach to sobriety, rather than avoiding drinking or using drugs. However, some of us may find ourselves feeling down, lamenting past years and previous versions of ourselves. Maybe you’re newly sober and the pink cloud never showed up for you or you’re struggling to adjust to a sober lifestyle. Many people have a hard time making the transition after rehab, but all hope is not lost.

Real and Authentic Relationships

Thankfully, there have only been a few times when someone at the table hasn’t pointed it out on my behalf and adjusted accordingly. However, when it has happened, I have to speak up to point out that I didn’t drink and I’m not subsidizing their drinking. I have always hated the feeling that I’m putting people out or being difficult.

That’s because so much more goes into sobriety than just staining from a particular substance. We publish material that is researched, cited, edited and reviewed by licensed medical professionals. The information we provide is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare providers. When you’re using drugs or alcohol, you can feel like you’re skating through life, but never really feeling or being in any of the moments.

thoughts on “14 Reasons Being Sober Makes Your Life Better”

Get productivity, intentional living and self-care tips so you can go from “busy” to “present” and show up as your best self in life and business in this weekly newsletter. Sign up to get productivity, intentional living and self-care tips so you can tap into a slower life and go from constantly doing to peacefully being. Once you’ve handled an item on your daily to-do list, scratch it off or note your progress on it. At the end of each day, look over your to-do list and make a list for the next.

Live with people who are clean and respectful, people who will help you live an easy clean life. You can’t be in sobriety while your roommate How to Choose a Sober House: Tips to Focus on is an alcoholic, so choose who you live with carefully. Keeping a clean house will reflect on your life quality and level of happiness.

You’ll feel better, but you’ll also sleep better and eat better,” said Opland. After overcoming her own addiction in 2012 Julie went on to become certified as an addiction counselor in order to help others achieve a life of recovery. She worked in the addiction field for 8 years and now uses both her personal and professional experiences with addiction as an influence for her writing. For example, if you know that you are more likely to succumb to drinking when you are stressed, you can plan ahead to avoid these situations. You can also find healthy alternatives to drinking for stress relief, such as going for a run or enjoying a warm cup of tea. Sobriety, on the other hand, is a complete lifestyle change.

• To learn more about Silver Linings Recovery Center and the different services that we offer, contact us today.
• You can use it to work on your hobbies, learn new skills, spend time with your loved ones, work out, or anything else you please.
• Things that happen in life may feel as if they’re too difficult to deal with without the effects of a substance.
• Blowing through your own money may even cause you to steal money from those close to you to pay for substances.

So, it’s extra helpful to have a support network available to you when you need it. Research shows that if you maintain these types of toxic relationships, your chances of relapsing are greater. To avoid relapse and remain sober, it’s important to develop healthy relationships. Some of the immediate changes you will need to make will be obvious—like not hanging around the people that you used with or obtained drugs from. After all, you can’t hang around your drug dealer or old drinking buddies and expect to remain sober for very long. One study found that mutual support groups can be as effective as 12-step programs and may help improve the odds of success for people who are committed to maintaining a lifetime of total abstinence.

So if you feel bored you have the power to change that, don’t sit and just be bored. When there is a problem, try to solve it right away so you don’t end up with two problems later and a lot to juggle. Most successful people are living sober and don’t think about getting high.