How to Stay Motivated in Alcohol Recovery – 5 Tactics to Keep You Excited About Ditching the Booze for a Sober Lifestyle
By Adrienne Kaliszak
This journey of recovery or as I like to call it, discovery, can feel daunting at times. In the early days you may have felt some excitement at the idea of living your life alcohol free. As the days and months move on, that excitement of beginning a new chapter in your life may have waned. You may question why you began in the first place, and wonder if you can keep with it for the long haul.
I’m going to share with you some strategies on how you can keep that fire burning on your sober path.
- Recognise your reasons for quitting
Remind yourself of all the reasons you decided to go AF in the first place. Is it health, finances, better sleep, to gain respect for yourself, improve your anxiety? Write your reasons down and really imagine these things happening for you. It’s amazing knowing you are getting healthier and stronger by no longer putting a lethal substance in your body. And sober sleep, nothing better! You think alcohol helps your anxiety, but pay attention, it makes it much worse! As you put distance between you and your last drink that anxiety is going to improve, how awesome is that?!
- Celebrate your victories
You made it an hour, a day, a week, a month, 6 months, 9 months, a year sober? Celebrate those moments and get creative with it. For one of my sober milestones I got myself a necklace that says, “I Love You”, in the shape of a heart. Don’t just celebrate the amount of days you are sober for. Celebrate other victories as well. The first time you drove right on by the store you previously bought alcohol from and didn’t stop to buy any. The first sober holiday you went on. Or the first time you declined a drink. All of these instances, and countless others, are worth celebrating and getting excited about.
- Set mini-goals for the week
Set sober goals for the week. Maybe it’s listening to that great new podcast by Brene Brown. Walking during the time you used to drink. Or trying 3 new alcohol-free drinks. Mini-goals are a great way to get motivated and excited about your new way of sober living.
- Fill your mind with positivity
A positive mindset goes a long way to keep that motivation and happy vibe going. Watch YouTube videos that light you up and set you on fire. I have to say, Simon’s videos are a great place to start. His energy will light a fire in even the most hardened soul. Other great ways to get positivity in your life is reading memoirs of people who have overcome difficult things, including alcohol or drug addiction.
- Meet with other friends who are AF
Going out with other friends who also choose an alcohol free lifestyle will help solidify your choice to be sober. At 7 months alcohol-free, I met up with a friend who also doesn’t drink. We had the greatest of times laughing and cutting it up. Before I left she said, “I’m glad you don’t drink. There’s so many other fun things to do without getting wasted.” I cherish this friendship so much, she came back into my life at just the right time.
Whether you are just starting out on an alcohol-free path or have years sober there is so much to be joyful for and excited about. You’ve kicked a dangerous chemical to the curb and are now experiencing how life is supposed to be, beautiful, messy, fun, challenging, AMAZING. Enjoy the ride.
'Your windshield is bigger than your rearview for a reason; the mirror is there to help you glance back at where you’ve been, but if you focus too much on it, you’re going to crash.
We are ALL affected by our past and we are ALL reminded of it now and again, but we cannot live in it unless we want to repeat it over and over again. We need to learn from it, take lessons from it, know what’s good (and not good) for us, and adjust accordingly. Mistakes are only mistakes until we learn from them and then they become lessons.'
Love this from the Your Tango blog, it sums up the need for a forward focused growth mindset in sobriety and life in general.
#keepmovingforward #positivequotes #positivity #yourtango #growthmindset #growthquotes #motivationalquotes #motivation #soberquotes #sobrietyquotes #lookforwardnotback #leavethepastbehind #movingforward #quotestagram #selfhelpquotes #positivemindset
Having an amazing time in #Japan and managed to head south out of Tokyo for a few days today to Kamakura by the ocean.
The drinking culture here is totally different to the UK, but all the bars are full, not many AF options either, but I wouldn’t want to visit such an amazing place and spoil it by boozing.
#tokyo #kamakura #tokyonight #tokyoneon #kamakuratemple #japaneseshrine #buddhisttemple #japantravel #tokyotrip #ramen #japaneseculture #japanlife
Wow! Rock Bottom & Rising has won the GOLD medal at the @nautilusbookawards for the best Addiction Recovery Memoir.
The book has 21 incredible stories by real people who have quit alcohol and turned their lives around, it is a truly inspirational read.
So this award is for everyone who contributed to the book, congratulations and thank you!
#bestbooks #nautilusbookaward #nautilusbookawards #nautilusbookawardwinner #sheldonpress #hatchettebookgroup #hodderandstoughton #addictionbooks #adictionmemoir #alcoholbooks #sobrietybooks #soberbooks
Woohoo! Just seen one of my books on the shelf @theworksstores #anxiety #anxietybook #theworks #bookshop #selfhelpbook #bookstore
Just finished recording a piece with @itvnews about the growing number of people quitting alcohol and the sobriety movement as a whole.
It airs next week, so look out for my shiny head on your TV screens.
#itv #sobriety #itvnews #sobermovement #sobercoach #tvinterview #newsstory #alcoholfree #soberlife #sobrietyrules
These two inspiring books from leading sobriety coach Simon Chapple are out today!
Read more...Repost @sheldon.press
Featuring contributions from some of the most well-known personalities in the Sober Space, Rock Bottom and Rising brings us real, raw, relatable stories from individuals who’ve found joy in an alcohol-free life.
The perfect companion to Rock Bottom – The Sober Life Journal captures the essence of journaling and provides space to grow and develop as you embark on a sober life. With hundreds of writing prompts, pages for reflection, focus, inspiration and guided exercises, this beautiful new journal supports your intention to create something lasting and meaningful to accompany you on your journey to an alcohol-free life.
Ideal for anyone contemplating a sober life come the new year, or from #dryjanuary.
Find out more in our bio.
——
#RockBottomandRising #SoberLife #Sober #SobrietyCoach #Sobriety #StopDrinking #Freefromalcohol #AlcoholFree #SoberBook #SimonChapple #BeSober #Howtogosober #quittingalcohol #teetotaller #teetotal #alcoholism #aa #cutdown #alcoholic #thisnakedmind #addiction #problemdrinking #soberjourney
Watch the best videos from my YouTube Stop Drinking Channel
Watch my video below – The Best Quit Alcohol Books
Read on for more of the very best quit alcohol books.
———————————————————————————————————–
MORE HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR STOPPING DRINKING ALCOHOL
———————————————————————————————————–
📖 GET MY NEW STOP DRINKING BOOK HERE – http://a-fwd.com/asin-uk=1529357586&asin-com=1529357586
⚠️ Subscribe to my YouTube channel – there are new stop drinking videos every Tuesday and Thursday.
Don’t miss another video – click below to Subscribe and also click on the Bell Icon to be notified about new videos.
Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkDiUhERjbdHN0kNXbD8UBQ/?sub_confirmation=1
💡 14 Days Free – Join my Stop Drinking Program:
https://www.joinbesober.com
🌎 Connect with me on a personal level – follow on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/besoberandquit
👥 Join my awesome free private Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1960061840706240/
If you need some inspiration, check this out…
🎥❤️🔥 My Top 5 favourite videos to help you quit alcohol on your own – watch these now if you are curious about sobriety and becoming alcohol-free:
1 – How I quit alcohol after 40 years – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0ydqjrN0AI
2 – Awesome tactic to stop alcohol cravings fast – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GedYoBZ_W2M&t
3 – 7 tips for the first week of sobriety – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq4x0vBEwMw&t
4 – Does alcohol cause depression and anxiety – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkrQpZPHBls&t
5 – Weight loss and stopping drinking alcohol – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyw9jM0kj5U&t
🌞 MUST WATCH – Check out my most viewed YouTube video – 7 Big Mistakes to Avoid in Sobriety – here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtBxWrju_ng&t
📚 Get the first 10 chapters of my first book totally free here: https://besober.co.uk/2020/08/18/stop-drinking-books-by-simon-chapple-recommended-quit-alcohol-books/
