When it comes to New Year’s resolutions, improving one’s health is one of the most popular resolutions in the United States, year after year.
Eating healthier, drinking more water, exercising more consistently, losing weight, these all fall within the scope of “health improvement,” and are at the very top of many people’s resolutions.
Drinking less alcohol, however, is reported as one of the lowest ranking New Year’s resolutions.
There are many reasons why a person might decide to pursue New Year sobriety, but they might find it difficult or discouraging to get started without the proper resources and a plan.
That’s exactly why we’ve written this article.
We’re going to walk you through the basics of how you can begin achieving sobriety, as well as how you can continue to maintain that sobriety from this point on.
How to reach sobriety in the New Year
The process to sobriety isn’t the most fun journey in the world, but it’s a brave, commendable and incredibly healthy decision for your life. Regardless of what your relationship with alcohol is and the exact reasons behind this decision, it’s one of the best steps you can take to improve your health, well-being and overall quality of life.
Here are the top five ways to support yourself as you work on your sobriety in the New Year.
1. Take life one day at a time
Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither was sobriety achieved in so short a time. If you try to look too far into the future, hold yourself to too high of an expectation, or test your willpower too quickly, the journey will seem too difficult, too overwhelming. You might talk yourself out of it.
Take life one day at a time. Start fresh in the morning, be grateful for your achievements in the evening, and resolve to do better the next day; remind yourself why you started in the first place.
2. Learn to say no
The unfortunate truth is most gatherings, events and other celebrations are full of alcohol, if they don’t already largely revolve around getting intoxicated. You very well may experience peer pressure to drink, discouragement from friends or family against sobriety, and other challenges.
One skill that will benefit you especially in the pursuit of sobriety is the ability to say no. If you’re a bit of a people-pleaser or like to use other, less-direct phrases than “no,” it might feel unnatural or rude at first. With practice, though, it will truly become easier and you will feel less guilty for putting your mental and physical health above the unhealthy opinions of others.
3. Find new favorite non-alcoholic drinks
Start experimenting with mocktail recipes at home, there are far more creative non-alcoholic drinks than you might think. Some are like desserts, rich and full of sugar, while others are designed to be more of a wellness tonic-in-a-champagne-glass sort of creation.
Depending on how deeply you want to dive into mocktails, you can find simple ones which are simply a few ingredients, or multifaceted drinks where you muddle ingredients, add sprigs of herbs and uniquely shaped ice. The possibilities are endless; who said sobriety was dull?
4. Take extra good care of yourself
Substance abuse takes a significant toll on your health and well-being. Your eating and sleeping habits, relationships, ability to work, social life and more all can be affected when you’re struggling with a substance use disorder; don’t try and repair every area of your life at once.
Be patient with yourself, celebrate your accomplishments, pick yourself up when you stumble, and take extra good care of yourself. Recovery is rarely a short journey; support yourself through every phase of it, the ups and the downs.
5. Embrace professional help
Reaching out for help is an uncomfortable thought for many people as they face unexpected questions they don’t have the answers to — questions like what their treatment would actually look like, and if they can afford to receive it.
The good news is, this isn’t a journey you’re expected to walk alone, even if it might feel that way sometimes. Whether or not you’re ready to enroll in one of our recovery programs, we’re here to answer your questions and help you get started on the path to sobriety however we can.
Speak with an advisor today
Bluff Augusta is a premier substance recovery center that specializes in helping men and women of all ages, as well as their families, heal from the effects of substance abuse.
Every person and their situation is uniquely different, which is why none of our programs are a one-size-fits-all style, but specifically tailored to meet your needs. Our team of registered nurses, psychiatric providers, therapists, counselors and nutritionists are ready to help.
Send us a message or give us a call today at 844-242-0806 to speak with one of our qualified advisors and learn more about what options you have for beginning your journey to sobriety.