New Year’s Resolutions Really Can Help Maintain Your Sobriety

If you are debating whether or not it is even worth it to make New Year’s resolutions this year, especially when it comes to the health of your recovery, the answer is a resounding “yes.” When you make resolutions that boost your sense of self-confidence, improve your health, and help you feel better in general, you give yourself a better chance of staying sober.

But which resolutions will really give you the boost you need? And how do you set yourself up for success so you don’t end up making your recovery harder? Here’s what you need to know. And if your biggest resolution this year is getting help, River Oaks Treatment Center in Riverview, near Tampa is here for you.

Start With Wellness Resolutions

For most of us, at any given time, there are a dozen or more wellness-related resolutions or goals that will help us evolve into a better version of ourselves. In recovery, even the smallest positive change can bring huge results. Each little change can trigger another positive change, a better mood, or an easier ability to fend off illness, all of which makes it easier to curb cravings for drugs or alcohol and manage triggers for relapse when they do happen.

You can:

• Maintain a healthy sleep schedule. Creating a comfortable, cool area that is conducive to sleep (dark and quiet) can help ensure that the sleep you get each night is restorative, giving your mind and body a chance to rest and repair. If you’re short on sleep, start small: go to bed 30 minutes earlier, or stay in bed an extra 30 minutes in the morning without hitting snooze.
• Quit smoking. If you smoke, the best thing you can do for yourself is quit. Don’t switch to vaping; stop the use of nicotine altogether, making room for healthier lung functioning and a shift in focus to more healthful choices.
• Drink more water. If you’re looking for an easy resolution with a great benefit, this is it. Start with a glass of water, with lemon if you like, on an empty stomach in the morning. Drink a full glass after every meal and every time you brush your teeth, and carry a large water bottle with you to keep your energy up.
• Move more often. Sitting may not be the new smoking, but a sedentary lifestyle can make it harder to feel and stay healthy. You don’t have to train for a marathon. Park far from the store, take the stairs, pace while you talk on the phone, or dance to your favorite music. Adding healthy activity can improve your cardiovascular health, your respiratory health, and your mood all in one fell swoop, which in turn gives your recovery a boost.
• Eat healthfully. The more fruits and vegetables you eat, the more varied your nutrient intake will be, which improves how your body functions, including your immune system. If you eat almost no vegetables, start with one more serving a day, and change it up to get different nutrients.

Add Resolutions for Connection and Support

No one is an island. It can feel simpler to stay to yourself and avoid the drama that comes with the wrong relationships, but connecting with the right people is one of the best things you can do for your recovery.

• Spend more time with sober friends. When you spend your downtime with people who are also sober, you stay focused on recovery and pick up ideas. Watching friends work toward a goal can inspire you to map out a plan for your own. Make a new friend at a meeting or at work, or have coffee with a good friend you haven’t seen in a while.
• Check out a new meeting. If you don’t already include group sessions in your weekly recovery routine, try an Alcoholics Anonymous or SMART Recovery meeting. If you already attend regularly, find a new one in a different neighborhood or nearby town and expand your recovery horizons.
• Try a new sport. A team sport like a softball or bowling league can help you meet new people who may not be sober but are interesting and fun to be around. If you’d like to connect with sober people, look for a sports therapy group or an outdoor or adventure therapy group in your community.
• Connect with a life coach. A life coach, sometimes called a sober coach when you’re in recovery, can help you decide what your goals for the year and your recovery should be if your biggest problem is choosing the next path.

Make Time for Your Mind and Mood

Recovery takes constant effort, so build in moments that let you rest and enjoy yourself.

• Add positive “me” time. Take 20 minutes a day to enjoy yourself. Play a video game, read a guilty-pleasure book, watch a favorite show, or sip a cup of hot tea and put your stressors and responsibilities to the side. It can be rejuvenating for your emotional health and your recovery.
• Breathe. Take the time every now and then to do nothing but breathe. Whether you sit still, walk, practice yoga, or try tai chi, focus on breathing in deeply and exhaling for even longer than the inhale. A few cycles can calm you down and leave you ready to handle whatever comes next.
• Laugh. When we focus on the woes of the past or worry about the future, we sometimes forget to enjoy where we are today. Watch something funny, hang out with funny friends, or read a funny book, and find time to enjoy yourself every day.
• Read. If you want a positive escape, pick up a great novel. If you want to laugh, try a funny memoir. If you want to learn something new, choose a book on a favorite topic. It’s a good way to stay busy and keep your mind active.
• Give yourself a break. You’re often your harshest critic, and you can choose to be kinder when things go wrong or you don’t quite reach a goal. Love yourself, respect yourself, and trust that you are everything you need to be right now.

Try Small Changes for Money, Skills, and Goals

Small, practical changes can reduce stress and move you toward the life you want.

• Fix it rather than replace it. Financial concerns can be a catalyst for drug and alcohol problems and a trigger for relapse, so anything that eases money worries helps in recovery. A full financial overhaul may be too much, but small changes can help, like repairing things instead of replacing them or going a set period without buying anything new except food and necessities.
• Take a short class. You don’t need a semester’s worth of classes. Pick a short, inexpensive course, even an online one, that speaks to your interests. It can deepen your understanding of a field you want to work in.
• Find an app for that. Apps can help you manage your schedule, track your sleep, organize recipes, and check in on your progress, including new goals for continuing in sobriety.

Make Your Resolutions Specific

It is easier to keep a resolution when it is specific and action-oriented than one that sounds good but is hard to pin down. Vague, theoretical ideas of change are nice, but if you want results, get as detailed as possible.

For example:

• Instead of “I will lose 10 pounds,” resolve to go for a 20-minute run every weekday morning at 8 a.m.
• Instead of “I will prioritize sleep,” resolve to go to bed at 9 p.m. every night and get up at 6 a.m., no matter what day of the week it is.
• Instead of “I will drink more water,” resolve to drink 64 ounces of water a day.
• Instead of “I will work out more,” resolve to go to a workout class every weekday, hike for three hours every weekend, or follow a preplanned workout plan that suits your schedule and fitness goals.

Plan It, Track It, Celebrate It

Once you have a specific goal, choose an app, grab a journal, or create a spreadsheet to track your progress. When you hit a mini milestone, like a week of drinking 64 ounces of water every day or two weeks of regular workouts, celebrate!

Keep Recovery First

Every resolution you make should serve your ability to stay sober. If you’re already sober, congratulations. You have done the heavy lifting, and the best resolution may be to keep doing what you’re doing. Meet with your therapist. Meet with your sponsor, or sponsor someone else. Volunteer. Check in with yourself. Try out new therapies. Ask for help when you need it, and keep getting treatment for ongoing mental health issues or physical disorders. Put your recovery in front of everything else, and make sure that every choice you make in the new year serves it.

If you’re struggling, or if you’ve relapsed, don’t wait for a better date. River Oaks offers medical detox, inpatient residential treatment, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient programs at our Riverview facility, and same-day admissions are available. Our admissions navigators can be reached 24/7 at . Learn how admissions works, step by step.

How will your resolutions help you stay sober this year?