8 Ways Flexibility & Accountability Keep You Sober In Recovery

Achieving sobriety means changing your personal as well as professional life in many ways because healing can only begin once you are ready to change. If you want to change your life for good, leaving behind addiction and harmful habits, you must be flexible and ready to adapt.

Choosing to change is a huge step in the right direction, but it won't always be easy: be ready for unforeseen triggers and hurdles. Below are eight tips to help you be flexible and adapt so you can achieve and maintain sobriety.

Life is full of uncertainty. As much as you try to plan out your life, the only thing constant in your day-to-day life is change. For example, no one imagined pre-COVID that working from home would become so normal. Now it's just another way to work. Likewise, parties or dinner plans might suddenly get canceled or changed, someone you planned to spend your time with may get ill, or other unpredictable changes can complicate your life.

Learning to be flexible by accepting things that are beyond your control, dealing with disappointments, finding solutions to problems, and moving on are healthy ways to deal with uncertainty.

When you are in the early stages of recovery, it can be difficult to sacrifice things. Addiction often causes people to be selfish or only consider their needs. When making decisions, reflect on how your decisions will affect others. Only thinking about yourself can hurt the feelings of those you're close to even damage your relationship with them.

Compromising means you may end up with only parts of your wishes, but you can provide your loved ones with things they want as well. This way, you can come to decisions that are beneficial for everyone.

In the end, you are your biggest supporter. You must have the self-confidence to reach out to people when you're feeling low. When going through recovery, some days are easier than others. Having confidence in yourself will help you advocate for yourself and believe that you have the strength to face challenges and achieve sobriety.

Mental, emotional, and physical triggers are all inevitable, and often, addiction comes with mental health challenges to deal with as well. This should not be discouraging to you; rather, it should encourage you to be aware of triggers and low points. Going through treatment should give you ways to recognize these potential snags and work through them to avoid relapse.

To maintain sobriety at any stage, you must control cravings and avoid triggers. Remember, everything fades with time and patience.

Hitting milestones can be exciting and help you want to continue, so plot out short-term and long-term goals, then celebrate achievements, big and small. You have come so far and put in so much effort, so be proud of your progress. Don't compare your journey with anyone else's because everybody is unique and struggles in different ways.

Focus on your journey and getting to your next goal.

There are many positive things that you can put your efforts into now that you've left substance abuse behind. Learn to find a balance between your work and personal life so you can cherish everything life has to offer. When you recover from substance use, you need something new and healthy to fill your life.

For many, relationships must be repaired, or new ones must be made. You might need to adjust your eating, sleeping, and exercise habits for a healthier life. Taking up a new hobby or creative endeavor might be the thing you need to fill the time that used to be taken up by drug and alcohol use. 

Fighting with urges and cravings is part of addiction recovery, and it is like learning to craft or skate or play guitar: you have to start as a beginner, start behaving differently, and practice those actions every day. It might be hard at first, and you might feel clumsy or need help. Don’t worry; this is perfectly normal.

Self-control is a skill, and for a skill to be learned perfectly, you must practice it consistently. The more you're able to control your cravings and distract yourself when you feel urges, the easier it will get.

#8. Avoid Bad Company

People involved with substance use often surround themselves with people who also engage in substance use. After getting sober, being around people who still use drugs and alcohol can make it hard for you to stay on track. Part of the recovery process includes setting healthy boundaries with people and may require you to cut ties with people who don't respect your sobriety.

Hang out with people who value your journey and help you more than hinder you.

To honor all the hard work you've done, understand that life doesn't always go according to plan, but accepting change will make it so that change doesn't cause a hiccup in your recovery journey. If you are having difficulty achieving or maintaining sobriety on your own because of changing circumstances beyond your control, The Edge Treatment Center is here to help.

Our flexible treatment plan can help you learn to adapt and overcome cravings and challenges. To learn how we can help you build adaptability into your life for sober living, call The Edge Treatment Center at (800) 778-1772.

We’re Here to Help You Find Your Way

If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, there is hope. Our team can guide you on your journey to recovery. Call us today.

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