Summer Survival Kit: Staying Sober
Summer has arrived, and you have one primary objective in mind: staying sober. It won’t be easy, but we know you can do it. As with anything, the more prepared you are, the better chance you have of success. Here we’re going to give you a bulletproof checklist that you can rely on when you’re feeling tempted, to help you make the best decision for you – to stay sober.
Before we get into it, we recommend that you also have a look at the huge wealth of information we have available on the Walker Center website. We have an extensive blog library that covers all aspects of addiction, alcoholism, recovery, and hope.
Now, you’re enjoying the sunshine, with friends, and your stone-cold resolve and determination to stay sober doesn’t feel so firm today… If anything, it feels like the foundations of your recovery may be close to falling in. Don’t panic! Run through this checklist, and you will get through this.
Make a list of your no-go danger zones. Everyone who has tried to recover or has recovered knows that there are certain places that they associate entirely with their past, and returning to them is playing with your life when you’re in early recovery. Sit down and promise yourself to write every place down. If the plan is to go to any of them, you don’t go. If you somehow find yourself there, you leave. End of story.
Get your routine together. Cognitive and physical vulnerabilities to substances are exacerbated by poor sleep hygiene, diet, not exercising, lack of structure, and fulfilling activities. Check in - have you slept well? Have you exercised and/or meditated today? What have you been eating? Have you been feeling overly stressed in the last few days? Your sobriety is dependent on it. If you don’t have these habits yet, make a plan on how to start living a healthier lifestyle. Whether it’s a focus on exercise, diet, meditation, or faith, you have to start somewhere. Make a plan using the SMART method (goals must be Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely.) Make a list of your top SMART goals related to your health.
Do you have numbers from members of a support group if you need it? Can you “phone a friend”? The beauty of recovery is that you can connect with many others who have walked in your shoes and are ready to fight for you and your sobriety. Make sure that should a crisis come calling, you have people to speak to whom understand what you’re going through and that they will hold you accountable. Make an emergency contact list of a minimum of 5 numbers of people that you can contact, as well as the locations of local support groups that you can turn to. You aren’t in this alone.
Have you practiced your “ways to say No” scripts? Saying no to an offer of alcohol and saying no to yourself when the voice in the back of your mind comes calling is the most crucial part of staying sober, and you will need to practice how to do it. Commit to writing down ten different ways you could decline an offer of booze in a social setting, with graduating levels of force. Peer pressure is real and scary for those trying to stay sober. Stay firm in the face of temptation.
Where are you going that isn’t a bar? Write down 10 things that you’ve been meaning to do or try for years and have never got around to because you were prioritizing booze and drugs. What are the natural beauty spots near you? What new sports could you try? Is this the time to rediscover your love for the pastimes you took part in when you were younger? You’ll be amazed at the feelings of joy and contentment that come from activities that a past version of yourself would have written off as “boring”. Inner peace awaits. Write down a list of 10 ideas of things you can try that are not related to drinking or using.
We hope that this checklist helps you to safeguard your sobriety and keep you on track during the delicious summer months. Remember, being sober grants you the gift of freedom to enjoy every second of life! Good luck.
To get this checklist plus the fillable workbook associated with the exercises, download it here.
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