8 Ways To Stay Sober During Covid-19: Work The Steps
Getting and staying sober has been a challenging journey. Anyone who’s overcome addiction can relate to that. But your trial is unique because the difficulty of your recovery cranked up a few notches with the Coronavirus outbreak.
The stress of potentially catching it certainly enough to put you to the test and social distancing doesn’t make it any easier. Today we’re going to cover some of the top ways to stay sober in these trying times!
What Does Sober Mean
Sobriety is more than not being drunk or high. It means you’re no longer using drugs or alcohol after recovering from an addiction. Someone who has achieved sobriety doesn’t just use the drug they were addicted to but avoid all substances from thereon. It can be challenging to achieve, but it’s not impossible even when things are as crazy as they are right now.
Tips to Stay Sober
Thousands of people continue to achieve and maintain sobriety despite the outbreak. It’s no exaggeration to say that the Coronavirus has taken a significant toll on many Americans. Thousands have died, millions of jobs were lost, and all of us were forced into quarantine to avoid worsening the situation. So how can you possibly stay sober during all of this? We’ve put together a list of things you should try.
1. Avoid Newsfeeds and Social Media
Social media and news broadcasts are loaded with important information. However, if you spend too much time absorbing information from either, your anxiety will spike. While you can certainly use them to get essential details on current events, you don’t want to overindulge. Limit the amount of time you spend on preventing absorbing too much negative information that could negatively impact your road to recovery.
2. Try Virtual Support Groups
While we must do our part to social distance and prevent the virus’s spreading, it doesn’t mean you must cut yourself off from your support groups. Virtual meetings are growing in popularity because they allow you to receive the support you need without contacting others.
3. Find a New Hobby
What’s one thing coronavirus brought to the table none of us expected? Extreme boredom. Social distancing and low funding due to lack of work both have killed many popular pass times. However, a hobby that makes you feel good is an excellent form of relapse prevention. But what can you do? Now is the time to find that one thing you’ve always wanted to be good at and get working on it—cooking, painting, drawing, sewing, etc. The list goes on and on. You just need to find what works best for you!
4. Get Outdoors
It’s wise to avoid social gatherings, but that doesn’t mean you are limited to staying indoors. You can still get out and enjoy the great outdoors. You can go fishing, go for a hike, spend the afternoon walking through the park, or even take a trip to the beach. Anything that gets you out and active is a great way to get your mind of the temptation to use drugs or alcohol to pass the time.
5. Give Meditation a Try
Reducing stress and anxiety is essential, and meditation is an excellent exercise to help you deal with these emotions. You already know that meditating is encouraged for people in recovery, but busy schedules often interfere with your ability to do so. Now is an excellent opportunity to give it a shot. Successful sessions will positively impact your mental health and can significantly help in maintaining sobriety.
6. Spend Time with Family/Encouraging Influences
Isolation puts your ability to resist drugs and alcohol to the test. This is true even when there isn’t a pandemic in full swing. You must make time for those positive influences of sober friends and those who are there to provide you with the inspiration you require to make it through your recovery process. You can even invite them to partake in other activities you are using to stay sober such as hiking, painting, cooking, and so on.
7. Start a Journal
Don’t be afraid to write down your thoughts and feelings in a journal. Often, putting words on paper is therapeutic and offers you the opportunity to work through the things you are struggling with. Keeping a journal is also a great way to explore thoughts and aspirations you feel may positively impact your daily life.
8. Treat Yourself
These hard times are an excellent opportunity to invest in yourself. If work is sparse, that’s ok. You don’t need to spend money to treat yourself to the things you require. All you need to do are nice things for yourself. Making the meal you’ve been craving, taking a nice bath, cleaning your home, or even just catching up on some overdue rest are all things you can do to feel good. You also don’t have to feel bad about buying those shoes or that new outfit you’ve had your eyes on.
Why Stay Sober?
But why go through all the effort to stay sober when the world has seemingly turned upside down? Because it’s worth it. More importantly, you’re worth it.
Times may be challenging, but they will come to pass. And when they do, you’ll be much stronger than you’ve ever been. If you can stay clean during the tough times, you’ll have no problem overcoming the hurdles regular life will throw your way.
Concluding Thoughts
These are all great ways to get your mind of drugs and alcohol, but they aren’t all that there is. Luckily, we live in an age of technology that offers virtually limitless ways to keep your mind occupied. The key is to keep yourself from feeling stagnant, stir crazy, or anxious.
If you’re feeling as though you are slipping, don’t be ashamed to reach out to your support system. They, too, may be able to provide you with some useful ideas on how you can spend your time without falling back to drugs and alcohol!