Planning enjoyable morning activities such as exercise, meditation, or pursuing a hobby can serve as motivation to stay sober at social events. I’ve spent the last seven years researching and understanding alcoholism, addiction, and how people get sober. Additionally, I examine the way mental and physical health as well as our relationships with others impact the reasons people drink and their role in maintaining sobriety long-term.

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For some couples this may mean meeting at the gym, finding a scenic place to talk and walk together, or preparing dinner together. It may take a while to establish new routines, but in the end, you will find them more pleasurable than drinking. Once you have got over the initial hurdles, life is far better without alcohol.

How to navigate social pressure and stay sober when you’re not drinking

Going back to normal life when in recovery is a challenge that can potentially lead to relapse. But being prepared to deal with triggers and temptations can make the process easier. Returning to a regular environment and spending time with friends who drink is one of the challenges you might face.

Decide Which Friendships to Keep

Exercise is great for everyone, especially those in recovery. Exercise can relieve stress and anxiety, improve mood and release feel-good neurotransmitters. Healthy movement also helps you heal your mind and body from the damage often caused by addiction. Pay attention to your physical and emotional needs.

• You’ll help out your friends by relieving them of planning duties, and you can ensure the destination is somewhere you feel comfortable.
• Getting sober may seem difficult, but there are strategies you can use to get and maintain sobriety.
• One 2020 study found potential benefits of combining in-person and online support methods.

• Look for cultural festivals, fitness classes, or hobby-based groups.
• You are learning how to deal with a chronic illness.
• Staying sober can be tough, especially when you’re around people who drink.
• Others aren’t always going to understand, but your recovery and healing are important.
• You may have already experienced some of these symptoms, and symptoms may come and go.

Whenever you question whether you made the right choice by giving up drinking, remember your reasons for choosing sobriety. This could be being sober around drinkers as simple as running a warm bubble bath or giving yourself a pedicure. Initially, getting sober may not make you happier.

• Incorporating structure can be simple, such as rising at a certain time daily and making your bed.
• No matter how insignificant it may appear, every small step forward is still progress.
• That means there are tons of great options — and we don’t mean new versions of Monopoly.
• You’re not being lame for reacting to them like this.
• To others, it means being in control, but not completely abstaining, such as social drinking and cutting back to an occasional glass of wine.

If you’re not ready to be around alcohol yet, that’s okay. You can always decline invitations to events where alcohol will be present until you feel more confident in your ability to resist temptation. By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism. Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website. Shame is having negative beliefs about yourself and your self-worth.

Some people believe that true sobriety only comes by working on yourself. In some ways, staying away from drugs is easier than staying away from alcohol. Alcohol is available on most streets in most places in the world and is legal. Drugs, on the other hand, usually involve having a drug dealer’s number, calling them up and then going to buy them illicitly. Learn about opportunities to help change the conversation around mental health. The truth is that figuring out your normal isn’t easy.