A new year is time for new beginnings. And no matter what your 2019 might have looked like, there is always room for self-improvement. From resolutions of losing weight and exercising more, to promises to spend more time with family and friends, the new year is the time to get things started. There are plenty of ways to celebrate the new year and sobriety.
If you have resolved to stay sober this year, the following steps can help you keep your promise to yourself!
The New Year and Sobriety: Useful Tips
- Accountability. Tell your friends and family about your resolution to stay sober. Being accountable to others has helped many people stick to their decision when things get complicated.
- Change your routine. Much of what triggers us to fall back into unhealthy ways is that they have become routine. People with substance use issues have sometimes noticed that there is a sense in which “all roads lead to addiction,” to returning to your old ways, to turning away from recovery. But by being aware of your habits and especially of your triggers, you can better avoid them. And that means a higher chance that you will be able to keep your resolution successfully.
- Try new things. This is similar to the above, but it is more specific. Resolve to join a club or a group, or to hang out with new friends so that you can better avoid your triggers. New activities and people mean new opportunities to stay away from the substances your body will be craving.
- Get support. In January, when we feel strongly about our resolutions, it is easy to make promises to ourselves. But all of us need help, especially when our body is telling us that we want something that we are trying to avoid. Join a 12-step program. The people there know what you are going through. Or, you can seek professional help by seeing an addiction therapist. We all need help sometimes, and having someone you can call when you need it can help you keep that resolution and avoid relapse.
- Get healthy. Addiction treatment specialists the world over agree that a healthy body is an excellent source of strength and support for a healthy mind. Exercise releases some of the same endorphins that the substance you were using did, and the healthier you are physically, the more likely you are to keep your resolution.
Reach Out for Help Today
This holiday season, give yourself and the ones you love the most important gift you can give them: sobriety. Holidays are a time for giving and receiving. But if you are not living your best life, you are not in a position to do either of those things well. At Palmetto Center, we believe that with the right help and a little bit of drive, you can overcome anything. And we are here to support you as the year begins. But, you have to take the first step. Contact us online today, or call us at 318.728.2970. Make this year the year you take your life back.
