Recovery is a lifelong journey. There are plenty of ways to make sobriety easier, but it starts with making good choices every day. If you’re ready to get started on your own road to recovery, here are some tips for living sober in Texas:
Try Living in a Community
Sober living communities in Texas help their members create a comfortable environment where they can relax and focus on recovery rather than worry about life’s stresses. Sober living communities in Texas can help you stay sober and are a safe place to live. Sober living communities offer support and resources for members. New Day Recovery, for example, is a San Antonio facility that offers inpatient and outpatient help for people trying to overcome their addiction and live in recovery.
Connect With People
It helps to put the phone down, turn off the TV, and find ways to be more connected with other people in your life. To find ways to be more connected with other people in your life, you can try taking up a new hobby or activity. This way, you’ll be able to spend more time doing things that are fun and rewarding rather than sitting around watching TV or scrolling through social media. If you want to avoid isolation and boredom after quitting drinking, it might also help to make some friends who don’t drink alcohol at all.
Try Volunteering in Texas
After you leave rehab treatment and transition back into daily life, engage in new activities that can provide structure for you. There are many ways to find structure in your life. One of the best places to start is through community service, where you can meet new people and build relationships with them while also giving back to the community. Texas has numerous volunteer opportunities from feeding the hungry to helping animals.
Create a Game Plan
How are you going to handle things that might tempt you to use again? There are plenty of places in Texas to go grab a beer, but there are just as many activities that don’t involve alcohol or drugs. Start thinking about it now. Think about what you can do to avoid temptation. For example, if you’re going out with friends and they drink while you don’t, ask a sober friend to come along.
Don’t be afraid to plan ahead for situations where alcohol or drugs might be present. If you know that your partner or child’s birthday party will have alcohol, bring along some other activities that keep your mind occupied and give yourself an alternative to drinking or using drugs. If all else fails, make yourself a list of things that make you feel good so that when the urge hits, you can remind yourself of them instead. Or create an exit plan for when the temptation gets too tough to navigate.
Care for Your Physical Health
Take care of your physical health while you work on your emotional health. When you’re new to the sober life, it can be helpful to remember that you are still responsible for taking care of yourself physically. Even if your substance use was not causing physical symptoms, abusing drugs or alcohol can leave your body in various stages of disrepair—so it’s important to start investing in your health now.
If you haven’t been exercising regularly, now is the perfect time to get started. Exercising not only helps with stress relief and mental health but also improves overall physical health by strengthening muscles and bones, improving blood flow, and reducing risk factors for chronic diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure. Additionally, regular exercise has been shown to help promote a sounder sleep cycle which helps us feel more rested when we wake up every morning.
Eating well is another crucial component of maintaining a healthy lifestyle after getting sober. Make sure that whatever food choices you make are nutritious ones. Be sure to eat foods rich in vitamins and minerals. Eat unprocessed foods more often than highly processed ones.
Surround Yourself With Help
Support groups, networking opportunities, and even job placement services can help you get back on your feet again. Texas has loads of resources that can help you get back on your feet again. Your local community, alcoholic anonymous groups, and even rehab facilities can often offer you the help you need to live in sobriety.