Once a person becomes sober, and drugs and alcohol are no longer apart of their life, they find themselves in a predicament: What can they do to fill their days and not become bored, or in a worst-case scenario, relapse back into addiction? While the hard part of the battle may have concluded, staying happy while sober is seldom discussed within recovery groups. If you’re in this part of your journey, here are some tips to help you along the way.
Sobriety and Happiness Are Not Mutually Exclusive
In our past, we knew how drugs and alcohol influenced were our daily routine and thought patterns. From the moment our eyes opened to capture the day to the second our heads hit the pillow, getting our next fix was our main priority.
Now that we’ve turned a new page in our book of life, we’re ready to fill that void and become productive members of society. But when we reach this chapter, what do we do? Although it may seem like an intimidating task, we must realize that experiencing happiness while being sober is a possibility. By creating this mindset, we give ourselves a chance to build a lifestyle that we can enjoy and share with others.
Daily Routine and Productive Habits
One of the main components of unhappiness, both in people in recovery and individuals that have never experienced addiction, stems from their days going unfulfilled. While sadness and melancholy will always occur, here are some effective tools to keep it at bay:
- Exercise frequently
- Consume healthy and nutritious foods
- Make friends with people that have gone through recovery
- Spend time in nature
- Write what you’re grateful for in a journal
- Take online courses to build your skills
- Engage with hobbies like painting, dancing or photography
- Frequently communicate with loved ones and friends
- Write a book about your journey through addiction
- Lend a helping hand to a local recovery clinic
When you use these tools to your advantage, you being to create a series of happy days filled with productive tasks and joy. Before you know it, you will realize that you no longer need drugs or alcohol to have fun and exciting days! When this occurs, it’s truly a blessing in disguise.
Success Motivation
If being a sober person sounds like a daunting task, don’t give up hope for the future. With the right habits and daily routine, anything becomes possible. For moments when you feel like you’re struggling to battle your addictions, reach out to us and let us know how we can help.
Our friendly staff and counselors are ready and willing to assist in any way they can. Call us today at 866-963-7200. Use the ideas and strategies listed above to become a happy and sober individual. Good luck in the days ahead, and we hope you become the best version of yourself.