22 Ways To Stay Sober In 2022

By, lovelocalcv

• January 5, 2022
• 65
• lgbtq

You’ve started down the road of sobriety (well done!) and you might have even made it through one or two of the first set of holidays (incredibly well done!). 

Now that the excitement (and distraction) of the holidays are over, how the heck do you stay sober this year? 

1. Work a program. Whether or not you are a 12-step advocate (and we here at LRN are!), working some type of a program that emphasizes mental and spiritual health will help you stay focused on the good, emotionally growth-oriented, and 
2. Get in a healthy community. 2022 means out with the bad and in with the good. Your soul deserves it, YOU deserve it. A healthy community means relationships are for mutual benefit with two people willing to give and receive. Evaluate your relationships and prune where necessary, this is your express permission (and scissors) to do some pruning if you need to. 
3. Start working out. Endorphins. Body image. Better sleep. Yes there are physiological benefits to working out, but did you know that those can translate into actually feeling better emotionally too? It’s worth a try. Even a 20 minute walk every day will help clear your head and heart.  
4. Go to bed earlier. Whenever you can get 7-8 hours of sleep a night, you will work smarter because you will actually be smarter, you’ll feel better, and your body will respond with a better metabolism. 
5. Find a hobby. What did you love to do as a kid? What is stopping you from doing it now? You are never too old to [ insert hobby here ] … catch my drift? You can still play ball, rollerskate, paint, crochet (yes, this is a thing again!), or join a salsa group. If it is fun (and safe), what do you have to lose by trying?  
6. Work on your relationships. Wait, don’t I have to BE in a relationship before I can start working on one? No boo, you are in relationships every single day with people at work, in your family, in the neighborhood, and in the community, start developing healthy relationships and focus on mature communication patterns with the people already in your life. 
7. Pick one word for a yearly focus. Resolutions last about 3 weeks, but have you ever tried “One Word” as a focus point for an entire year? Is there something you really would like to focus on this year? Compassion, Love, Joy, Peace, Health, Simplicity? Make it your “one word” theme for the year! 
8. Once you’ve chosen number 7, develop a vision board around the word, selecting pictures that represent your chosen theme for the year. There is something about visualizing where you want to go that energizes and amplifies your ability to get there! 
9. Look for and create space for your chosen, healthy community. A community where you have people to support your sobriety and growth, will help you stay sober. Are you focusing on mental and spiritual health? Like attracts like, so often you will stumble into groups of people who are doing the same thing. Half of creating a healthy community is the desire and willingness to create that community, so set your heartful intention to create this type of community, create space in your life for it, and then watch it begin to develop. Yes, you may have to step out of your comfort zone to co-create the space (I’m talking to you introverts out there) — but it’s so worth the risk. 
10. Nix the lone-ranger mentality. Refer to number 9. Life is better done together. If you find you have large swaths of alone time, look at places to get involved and give back, or get connected. 
11. Phone someone if you feel like using. Go to a meeting, phone a friend, text your sponsor… do something that puts you in touch with someone that can help talk you off of the ledge if you feel like picking up.

There is hope.