When you make the decision to get sober, you take the first step toward improving your health. The hard living that comes with being addicted has taken a toll on your body. Now that you’ve put that behind you, it’s time to really work on getting healthy. Here are 5 ways you can start the process of getting healthy again.
Work Your Body
Exercise does wonders for the newly sober. It can help with detox, as well as keep you from gaining weight and give you something to do other than think about drinking.
It doesn’t have to be a major workout, though. Instead of joining a gym and pushing your body to the limit, take a walk around the neighborhood. Do some yoga, or ride a bike. A little physical activity is better than nothing, and over time, as your health continues to improve, you’ll be able to work your way up to more advanced workouts.
Improve Your Diet
You probably didn’t eat very healthy before, but with a fresh start should come a fresh diet. Clean out the fridge and the pantry. Get rid of the junk food, unhealthy boxed meals and sugary cereals. Go shopping and stock your kitchen with healthy whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, organic meats, and delicious dairy in the form of milk, yogurt, and cheese. Eating healthy will fuel your body for exercise. It will also make you feel better, and feeling better will encourage you to stick with your sobriety.
Hold Yourself Accountable
There are many ways to hold yourself accountable. You can go to meetings. You can call a sponsor or ask a friend to hold you accountable. You can use a sobriety monitoring system, like Soberlink, that uses your phone to give you real-time monitoring and results. You can combine those options into something that works for you. The important thing is to be accountable to someone or something else, so that you think twice before backsliding.
See Your Doctor
The hard living that comes with addiction can create all kinds of internal problems that you may not be aware of: vitamin deficiencies, organ damage, and more. Now that you’ve taken the most important step of getting sober, it’s not time to try to either ignore your health or self-diagnose. See your doctor, and be honest about your past. Get a thorough check-up, including bloodwork. If anything is not quite right, whether it’s as minor as a vitamin deficiency or as potentially serious as organ damage, your doctor can help you determine what to do to fix it.
Find Healthy Ways to Fill Your Time
You likely find you have a lot of free time now, time that was once filled with drinking or using drugs. Part of being healthy is improving your mental health, not just your physical health.
Look for ways to fill your newfound free time with healthy activities. Maybe you’ve always wanted to write a book, or learn to knit, or learn to cook elaborate, gourmet meals. Maybe there are a bunch of DIY projects that you need to do around your house, like painting the house or renovating a bathroom. Go to art exhibits, get some books from the library, attend lectures on topics that interest you. There’s a world of interesting, exciting, healthy things you can enjoy.
The decision to get sober was your first step. Each of the tips outlined above are another step toward creating a new, healthy life that you can be proud of. Take each step individually, incorporate it into your life, and keep moving forward. You’ll be glad you did.