The holidays, as special as they can be, can also be a particularly trying time for those of us who are dealing with addiction and the long road to sobriety. With more temptation, more social activity, and more stress, finding the motivation to stay sober is paramount.
Today, we’ll share some of the transformational benefits of staying sober and motivational tips for doing so. But, before we begin, it’s also worth mentioning how powerful and helpful sober coaching can be when you’re getting sober. Whether virtually or in person, professional sober coaches can provide motivation and help with staying sober.
What is Sobriety?
To begin, it’s helpful to define what sobriety means. Sobriety refers to abstaining from alcohol and/or drugs, with the goal of leading a healthier life. When someone is sober, they actively manage their addiction and seek support when necessary.
Internal Motivation for Recovery
Next, let’s explore why internal motivation is key to staying sober. Focusing on motivation from within makes us more likely to stay motivated and achieve our goals. Internal motivation can come from a variety of sources, including the desire to be healthy, the will to succeed in recovery, or a commitment to living life on one’s own terms.
While external motivation, including from your family and friends, can be helpful, you can rely on something other than what you can depend on to stay sober in the long term. Ultimately, motivation must come from within.
What Really Gives You the Motivation to Stay Sober?
With that in mind, let’s dig into some of what really motivates someone to stay sober.
Namely, we’ll cover:
- Being realistic
- Identifying the pros and cons of staying clean
- Finding a strong support system
- Doing things that make you feel good
- Trying to stop comparing your progress with others
- Seeking out helpful motivation for recovery quotes
These are all useful tactics for staying motivated to stay sober, as they can help you focus on the positive aspects of sobriety.
Being realistic
When it comes to motivation for recovery, it’s important to be realistic. For instance, don’t expect your motivation levels to spike in an instant and never wavered from there. Instead, expect motivation to need occasional refreshing or reinforcement throughout the process. Then you won’t become discouraged when motivation does dip.
Identifying the pros and cons of staying clean
Similarly, take a look at both the positives and negatives associated with staying sober. This can help you stay motivated to keep going and not give up in the face of temptation or difficulty. For example, perhaps one of your cons is that social gatherings may be more challenging without alcohol or drugs present. However, some pros could include improved relationships, better sleep, increased energy levels, and greater clarity of mind.
Finding a strong support system
Another factor that plays into motivation for recovery is having a solid support system in place. Whether it’s through family members, friends, therapy sessions, or 12-step meetings like Alcoholics Anonymous, having a support system can make all the difference in finding the motivation to stay sober.
We dive even deeper into the importance of finding a strong support system on your road to long-term recovery in this post.
Doing things that make you feel good
Your motivation to stay sober can increase when you can put your energy and attention toward activities that make you feel good.
Examples of such activities include:
- Creative hobbies like painting or writing
- Physical activities like running, yoga, or biking
- Spending more time with people who support your sobriety
Trying to stop comparing your progress with others
Focusing on YOUR progress in recovery rather than comparing yourself to others is imperative. Everyone’s situation is different, and each person’s motivation for recovery looks different. That said, striving for a goal without worrying about how it compares to someone else’s can help build motivation and confidence in what you’re doing.
Seeking out the helpful motivation for recovery quotes
Finally, “motivation for recovery” quotes can be beneficial for staying on track. Search online for affirmations and motivation phrases that speak to you, and use them as daily reminders. You might tape these quotes to your mirror, stick them to your fridge, or use them as the background image on your computer. Whatever you choose, make sure you have motivation for recovery reminders all around.
Motivation to stay sober is ultimately a personal journey, and the best motivation will come from within. However, all the strategies we just listed can help refuel your motivation daily. With these tools in place, motivation to stay sober can remain consistent over time.
Transformational Benefits of Sobriety
Now that we understand motivation is key to staying sober, let’s look at some of the transformational benefits it can bring to our lives.
These truly transformational benefits serve as great reminders and provide motivation to stay sober in themselves:
- Better Health
- Better relationships
- More money
- More opportunities and positive experiences
- More happiness
- Better thinking
- More success
- Better Health
We can’t discuss the benefits of staying sober and some of the best motivations to stay sober without discussing improved health. When we aren’t actively trying to stay sober, we may be participating in activities or consuming substances that are detrimental to our physical and mental well-being. If motivation is lacking, understanding the positive physical effects of staying clean can help maintain motivation.
Not to mention, quitting drugs and/or alcohol comes with many physical benefits. Physical health can improve due to improved sleep, digestion, and appetite, stronger muscles and bones, and skin complexion. Many of these benefits can be felt almost immediately upon getting sober. They can also serve as motivation to stay sober and progress through recovery.
- Better relationships
We all have relationships in life with family members, friends, coworkers, and more. Unfortunately, participation in substance abuse can often leave us feeling distant from these important people in our lives and further away from motivation for recovery. Staying sober helps rebuild these connections—and motivation—as trust will be restored over time.
- More money
Money isn’t everything when it comes to motivation for sobriety, but it can still play a role. The cost associated with drugs and alcohol can add up quickly and may leave you feeling worse off than before. Staying sober gives you the motivation to use that money for more beneficial things that will work to improve rather than detract from your motivation for recovery.
- More opportunities and positive experiences
When motivation for recovery is low, it isn’t easy to find motivation in other aspects of life. However, when motivation begins to return, so do the opportunities that come with it. You’ll be able to create positive moments by taking on new hobbies or trying something outside of your comfort zone—all great motivation reminders!
- More happiness
When motivation is high, our outlook on life improves as well. When we aren’t drinking or using drugs, we are free to look inward and find the motivation to be happy from within. This can lead to increased motivation as we create motivation mantras and take pride in our clean lifestyle.
(Don’t miss these 11 strategies that can help you stay committed to sobriety next)
- Better thinking
Living a sober life gives us the motivation and ability to think more clearly, allowing us to make better choices both with our motivation for recovery and in other areas of life. We can think through our decisions before taking action rather than impulsively making decisions due to substance abuse.
- More success
When motivation is low, we may feel like giving up on our goals or not even making any at all. However, when motivation is high, we can set goals and achieve them—no matter what they may be! With consistent motivation for sobriety, you’ll be able to gain motivation for other aspects of life and potentially increase success.
Finding the motivation to stay sober is possible with these tips in mind! With a robust support system, identifying the pros and cons of sobriety, engaging in activities that make you feel good, comparing yourself only to yourself, and finding motivational phrases that speak to you can help refuel your motivation every day. With motivation always at the forefront of your mind, motivation to stay sober is something that can remain consistent over time.
Summary: Finding YOUR Motivation to Stay Sober
Now that we’ve covered the motivation to stay sober and some of the transformational benefits that come with it, it’s essential to understand what motivation looks like for you. You know yourself best, so use this knowledge to identify areas of motivation and create a plan for staying sober that works for YOU! From better health to more success, motivation is the crucial factor in your sobriety journey – so don’t let it go to waste.
Please know Elysian Sober Services is here for you on this journey. Whether you’re looking for sober coaching, sober companions, transportation, or other sober services, you will find what you need with us and our team of experts in a supportive and compassionate environment. So reach out to us today and start feeling motivated for your sobriety journey!
