Hey everyone! I wanted to share my check list. These are things that have helped me with my sobriety journey.
I hope that it will provide value to someone else who may need it. Have a wonderful day!
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When I wake up, I remember to pray for God’s will and not mine. This helps me remember that I don’t need to worry about controlling the world. Things will work out as long as I am doing the next best right thing! I also like reading uplifting sobriety memes to start my day with a positive headspace.
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Get ready for the day. Shower, brush your teeth, look in the mirror and smile
I try to remember that I don’t have to look perfect and that every sober person is beautiful. There was a point in time in my addiction that I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror. It’s amazing to watch how much your face alone changes the longer you are sober. You will begin to see the light shine through again. -
Do your best to attend one meeting a day. I enjoy text meetings on the discord server I am apart of. If I don’t feel up to sharing, just thanking other people for sharing counts as service work. If I’m unable to attend at all, I will go back and read a text meeting. This helps me stay grounded in my sobriety and “keep it green”.
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If you are newly sober and have cravings, what worked for me was substituting for fancy non-alcoholic drinks. I enjoyed trying the different flavors of Sonic drinks, or buy your own carbonated drinks and mix with frozen fruit and drink mixes. Mocktails offer a non-alcoholic alternative that still provides sensory satisfaction.
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Whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed or irritated, I spend some time alone outside, even if it’s for a brief 10 mins or so. This helps me to remain grateful and grounds me in the day. I love the smell of fresh air, the sunlight beaming through the trees, birds chirping. It’s hard to be mad at the world when you are surrounded by nature.
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I need to set boundaries to have some alone time on the weekends. Even if it’s just for 30 minutes, that time to decompress and sort out my thoughts helps me to keep from being reactive. I’m an introvert that enjoys my alone time to recharge.
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Feelings aren’t facts. This was a hard one for me to learn! If we rule our lives by fleeting feelings, we could potentially burn our lives to the ground. Try to be wise about the feelings you are having. Reach out to someone sober that you respect and sort your feelings out. Pause, pray, proceed.
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Progress, not perfection. Nothing you do has to be perfect. Doing 60 percent can get the job done - Throw your clean clothes in a pile, wait to do the dishes tomorrow. Try to do as much as you can today, but don’t beat yourself up for not having the energy on certain days to do everything. Every day sober is a win regardless!
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Routine can seem boring but is essential in sobriety. As our habits get boring we derail progress to seek novelty. Remember that the end goal is a better life and doing routine things leads to a productive and exciting future. The greatest threat to success is not failure, it’s boredom.
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We didn’t get sober to have a bad time! Have some fun with your passions in life! Spend some time being creative - journaling, listening to music, writing songs, cooking. Doing this will take your mind off of problems and add value to all other areas of your life
*This is what worked for me to get to one year sober. I’d love to hear what works for you!
