Getting the Most Out of Sober Living

If you’re interested in sober living, you’re probably already aware of some of the key benefits the lifestyle offers.

Improving your health is one such benefit, but that’s just one of many benefits. Sober living will help you develop a variety of different skills that you can take with you as you move forward.

In this article, we’re taking a closer look at what sober living offers and how to get the most out of sober living.

Getting the Most Out of Sober Living

Getting the Most Out of Sober Living

You have been through a lot in your life. You have stumbled, maybe several times, but found a way to get back up. While you could have given up many times, you didn’t.

The work you have done to get sober is invaluable and now you are at the next stage of your life, recovery.

The more time and treatment you can put between you and your addiction, the higher your chance of long-term success.

When you choose to go to sober living, or halfway house, you are given that extra time and treatment. You are also given a space where you can practice the sober skills you learned during in-patient treatment before you completely transition back into society.

This is not the only benefit sober living offers, however. If you aren’t familiar with everything a halfway house has to offer, you may miss out on important learning experiences that can help you during your recovery.

Keep reading for some great advice on how to get the most out of sober living.

Paying for Sober Living

One of the first factors you will consider is the cost of sober living. It’s natural and smart to think of your finances when making decisions.

Because you can get a job and earn a wage, you should have no problem paying expenses, which are comparable to apartment rentals.

What you must remember is that you are the best investment you can make.

What you learn by living in a halfway house far exceeds any living expenses.

Getting a Job

When you leave treatment and return to your home environment, you will be on your own when trying to find a job. It will be all you when it comes to filling out applications, searching for openings, putting together a resume, getting references, and attending interviews.

Plus, people in your hometown may not be as willing to give you a chance like they would in a new town. Not being able to find work right away can be a trigger for relapse.

When you are in sober living, you have help organizing your job search. You have a support system who can help you with interviews and meeting any drug testing requirements. You will also be able to get and give feedback with peers who are also job searching.

You will be able to leave sober living with legitimate job experience and references that can help you get better jobs in your future.

Length of Stay

You may be wondering how long you can stay in sober living. Length of stay varies from person to person but as mentioned before, the longer you can stay away from your old, unhealthy environment, the better.

The longer you stay in sober living, the more practice you get at being sober. You learn how to handle tough situations and avoiding relapse. You get to know yourself better without the interferences or distractions of family and friends who may tempt you to use again.

Ultimately, you will determine your length of stay.

Better Preparation for Returning Home

Taking the time to transition from treatment to your home helps you prepare.

Preparation equips you with ammo to fight the battles of temptations. Sober living gives you time to set goals, build your support system back home, practice creating and sticking to a budget, and establish a daily schedule that helps you stay sober.

Schedules can include meetings, counseling sessions, support groups, work hours, and other positive activities. You want to make sure your calendar is filled so there is no down time that could potentially lead to negative thoughts or behaviors.

Sober living also gives you practice in preparing for avoiding or saying no to people who do not care about your sobriety. You know who they are. And you know they will be waiting for you, ready to help you relapse.

Take the time to build confidence on how to handle negative influences.

Continued Self-Care

Self-care means meeting your physical and mental health needs so that you become healthy in mind, body and spirit. Until now, staying healthy meant avoiding withdrawal symptoms. Now that you are sober, healthy takes on a different meaning.

Being healthy means now means having a routine that helps you stay focused. It means access to mental health professionals when you need counseling. It means attending appointments with medical doctors when you have ailments.

All of these are important when learning how to stay sober.

Make yourself a priority. Learn how to address the needs of your body and mind properly so you can avoid self-medicating with a relapse.

Give Back to Feel Good

Volunteering gives you a chance to help the community in which you live. Giving back has many rewards. It just makes you feel good to know you are helping someone else for no other reason than to help.

Volunteering can also give you a purpose, a reason to stay sober. Your community needs your help and they can help you stay accountable.

In sober living, you will have opportunities to participate in volunteer activities. You can even figure out your natural talents and based on those, choose projects in which to volunteer.

Volunteering teaches valuable skills like team building, communication, and decision-making skills, all of which can help you in your recovery.

In conclusion, there are many things you can do to get the most out of sober living. These are just a few of the most helpful pieces of advice to assist you in recovery.

Conclusion

You may find that while conquering these steps, you can also begin conquering your fears. The fear of relapse can be intense. The fear of failure can fell overwhelming. The fear of the unknown can drive you crazy. Sober living helps you slow down and gain the confidence you need to overcome these fears and live the great life you deserve.

 

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