Dealing With Stress in Sobriety

Just because we get alcohol addiction help and get sober does not mean that everything is perfect. It just means that we finally have tools to deal with things as they come up. In sobriety there are a number of things that can come up, from your car not starting when you’re running 20 minutes late, to a job interview, to your bank account being over drafted. Life can throw you curve balls. There will be times when you’ll want to rip your hair out or dwell on “what ifs”. Without the alcohol to calm the storm, what now? How do you deal with life’s ways of surprising you?

 

Relaxing During Stressful Times

Sometimes just breathing, sitting down, putting pen to paper and venting will relieve some of that tension. Get yourself to a meeting, and share about what’s going on. There will be someone there who is going through what you are, or has gone through it and can give you a different perspective.

Don’t be So Tough on Yourself

Stress is our reaction to being overwhelmed.  Pick something that makes you happy that you may or may not have done in a while and do it!  As alcoholics our minds are constantly racing. We can be our toughest critic. When we go through a 12 step recovery program we are given everything we need to be able to stay calm, cool, and collected in every situation. Through the 12 steps of recovery we can begin to deal with stressful situations while maintaining a sense of peace, and serenity.