How To Stay Committed To Sobriety

Ways for how to stay committed to sobriety are so different for everyone. In this blog post, I will go over things that have helped me stay sober from alcohol for over two and a half years. 

Staying committed to sobriety can be hard. Especially at the beginning. Abstaining from alcohol takes a lot of work, courage, and commitment, but the end results are so, so worth it. The sense of accomplishment you feel from staying sober is like nothing else. The benefits of sobriety are truly life-changing. Below, I’m sharing my guide on how to stay committed to sobriety, so that you can be free from alcohol, once and for all. 

How To Stay Committed To Sobriety

Below, you’ll find different reasons to stay sober, as well as a few tips for how to maintain sobriety in the long run. I think it’s important to note that, although I haven’t had a sip of alcohol in almost three years, I do occasionally imbibe in THC seltzers a few times a month. So, I think I’m what you would consider “Cali sober.” 

What Are Reasons To Stay Sober

To avoid a hangover

This is an obvious one, but should probably be reiterated. Hangovers are truly the worst. At least mine were. They were so incredibly debilitating, that I couldn’t leave bed all weekend, any time I went out with friends. It’s amazing how much hangovers can alter your quality of life. Living the sober lifestyle and avoiding hangovers has been such a gift. 

To avoid anxiety

The amount of anxiety I would get the day after drinking is insane. And the fact that I kept putting my body through that every weekend is also insane. My mental health was not great. The longer you remain sober, the more aghast you will become over how much your anxiety decreases. It’s true that some folks do experience more anxiety when they first get sober. This is because they have to face all the feelings they were avoiding with drugs or alcohol. 

But once you start to stay committed to sobriety and experience it over the long term, you will see your anxiety decrease. At least it did for me. I used to get so much hangxiety, and I don’t miss that part of drinking at all. 

To maintain relationships 

This one is a hard pill to swallow, but your drinking habits might be ruining some of your relationships. The rock bottom moment that made me stop drinking was when I missed one of my best friend’s 30th birthday party because I was too hungover. I ended up going to the hospital that night because my hangxiety was through the roof and the EMT team told me I should probably go because my blood pressure was crazy. 

Thankfully, I am still very close with my friend and she wasn’t super upset about me missing her birthday, but I certainly was. I think that alcohol can sometimes make you a really flaky friend and a terrible partner. Being able to have your friends and family rely on you and trust that you will show up when they need you is absolutely work staying committed to sobriety. 

To be able to go do fun things

As I mentioned previously, you can’t live life, see the world, and do fun things if you’re stuck in bed every Saturday with a debilitating hangover. A really legit reason to stay committed to sobriety is to be able to explore the world and try new things. You get to enjoy the things you love to do a lot more (and a lot more often). 

To sleep better

This one is a no-brainer. But perhaps you’d be surprised by how much your sleep improves when you stay committed to sobriety. Especially when you stay committed for the long term. Whenever I would even have like one glass of wine during a weeknight, I would have terrible sleep that evening. And then I would wake up the next day feeling like shit and wouldn’t be able to work (or write) as well as I normally can. 

We are learning more and more about how alcohol affects your body, especially your sleep. If you have a hard time sleeping to begin with, you’ll notice a big difference when you stop drinking.   

Save money

Okay, this one is kinda tough because I don’t know if I’ve necessarily saved money! I did end up spending the money I would normally spend on alcohol, on little hobbies like jewelry-making, workout classes, and more. But, I do think a lot of people end up saving a shit ton of money when they stop drinking. Especially if you live in an expensive city like NYC. 

How To Maintain Sobriety

Join a sobriety group

Whether it’s Alcoholics Anonymous or (my favorite) The Luckiest Club, you should definitely join support group meetings to help you get through your sober journey. I believe that The Luckiest Club was a huge factor in helping me maintain sobriety in the first sixish months of my journey. If you’ve been wondering how to enjoy life sober, joining support groups is key. You want to build a strong support network for when you need that extra help. 

Imbibe in non-alcoholic drinks

One of the coping strategies that has helped me is sipping on non-alcoholic beverages. I always tell people that this could either help them or hurt them. Some folks aren’t able to drink non-alcoholic beers or wines because it reminds them too much of the real stuff. And then they have even worse cravings and want to sip on the real thing. 

For me, NA beers were an absolute lifesaver in helping me maintain my sobriety long-term. Drinking them when I was out with friends made me feel normal. And I actually love the taste of beer, with or without alcohol haha. 

Recognize your triggers

For most people who are suffering from alcoholism, there are specific triggers that can make them want to reach for the booze. For me, it was stress from the week. Managing stress has been a big part of my sobriety journey. For some people, it might be that they feel social pressure to drink with their family or friends. 

Figuring out what your triggers are (and avoiding them for as long as you need to) is an important step in maintaining sobriety. 

Treat it like a baby

One person in one of my Luckiest Club meetings said that you need to treat your sobriety like a baby. Your sobriety needs to be the most important thing in your life if you want to maintain it. You must protect it at all costs.