Addiction is a lifelong battle and 85% of people who quit relapse within a year. This statistic is highly depressing, but you’ll definitely be glad to know that a few simple lifestyle changes increase the chances of staying sober. Depending on whether it’s you struggling through this difficult time or your loved one is, you can either make the changes yourself or together with your precious person. The latter will help you show support and as these are healthy lifestyle habits, you’ll also benefit from them both physically and emotionally.
How to Stay Sober: 3 Lifestyle Changes That Will Help You
1. Rationalize that sobriety is the only way
It might seem obvious that being sober is the right decision, but addiction is a disease that affects the brain. One of its effects is that people lose the ability to think rationally about it, which contributes to such a high relapse rate.
That’s why the first battle you have to win to stay sober is to change your way of thinking. The best way to achieve this is to get help from a therapist experienced in addiction treatment whom you can find through drug rehab in Texas.
The therapist should help you reinforce rational thinking patterns that will steer you away from the substance in the future. This will enhance your cognition as a whole and help clear out the ‘fuzziness’ often associated with substance abuse. Restoring the sharpness of your mind is the most important change of all and you can develop a few lifestyle habits that will help you push it further. For example, playing a musical instrument, learning languages, or solving mathematical problems are all fine hobbies. They also enhance brain health and keep your mind off cravings helping you stay sober.
2. Start exercising
Exercise literally changes your brain and effectively helps fight depression, as well as improve attention and focus, explains a neuroscience professor Wendy Suzuki in her TED Talk. Hers is only one of the many studies that prove the benefits of physical activity for mental hand emotional health.
The short-term boost of ‘happiness hormones’ you get after a workout is a great help for those trying to stay sober as it helps curb the cravings. However, it’s long-term benefits of consistent exercise that are a real game changer for those aiming to beat addiction. Physiologically, regular workouts will increase the amounts of certain neurotransmitters to the point when certain areas of your brain will literally grow in size. This means that consistent workouts will reduce the risk of depression and help manage stress, which are two main factors that contribute to a relapse.
Succeeding in achieving your exercise goals also boosts your confidence. This is an essential factor for a person undergoing rehab as belief in oneself is something these people are severely lacking. If it’s your loved one who struggles, exercising together will help both of you as well as improve your fitness results.
3. Become money-savvy
Financial security is one of the most important things that can help stay sober. Unfortunately, few people who struggled with addiction have it and quite often money troubles are the main stressor that pushes them back to substance abuse.
Today you have many opportunities to not only improve your financial situation but fight the draw of addiction at the same time. Start with taking a class on personal money management. There are many free online courses today, so everyone can do this. The class itself is going to help keep your mind off the cravings and seeing yourself succeed will give a positive reinforcement to staying sober.
If you are deep in debt, seek professional advice and study online resources that will help you bring your finances in order. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from various nonprofit counseling organizations. You can find legitimate ones through Financial Counseling Association of America or National Foundation for Credit Counseling
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