I made it past the 17 month mark*, and I thought I’d share some of the things that have been helping, so far. I know I’m still pretty new at this and others out there have more to say, but keeping track this way helps me celebrate the wins and keep going.
(*Note: I keep updating this as I reach new milestones.)
What Has Helped (So Far)
I’m well aware I’m still a newbie at this. I’m also aware there are other new recovering alcoholics out there. If anything that’s helped me (so far) can help someone else, I’ll consider this post well worth the time spent writing it.
The following list has links to make it easier to check them out. None of these are affiliate links, but I’m not ruling out using them in the future if I find out they have them.
- The I Am Sober app, which keeps track of my days without alcohol (with its Daily Pledge feature) and lets me add notes to every end-of-the-day review (UPDATE: Haven’t used this in a while. It helps that my 1st day sober coincides with a family birthday).
- Meditation apps — I’ve been meditating every morning for months, now, and honestly… I don’t know that I’ve gotten better at it. But it does give my day a better start. Sometimes, all I do is just spend a few minutes breathing (after brushing my teeth, downing a class of water with my thyroid meds, and getting my first cup of coffee).
- Tea — mostly either Twinings (mainly Lemon Ginger, Peppermint, and Earl Gray) and Yogi Teas (Sweet Tangerine Positive Energy is my favorite morning tea). Also, my sister sent me a gift card to Jasmine Pearl Tea Company (Oregon-based), and I’ve been enjoying the teas I ordered.
- The DuoLingo app (keeping my Spanish strong and now learning German)
- Game apps — mostly Sudoku.
- Switching to a (mostly) plant-based diet. I have more than one reason for this. One is PKD; I’m hoping this will help me maintain healthy kidney function for years to come. Fingers crossed. I don’t mind if people around me eat meat; I’m just choosing not to for my own health reasons.
- Fresh flowers — I buy small bouquets at the local Aldi and keep a vase on my desk with fresh blooms. They brighten up the room, and I can’t help smiling when I look at them.
- Music (Usually with the YouTube app on my desktop while I’m writing)
- Taking walks (Not often — since the area I currently live in is not pedestrian-friendly).
- Working on a book (I have a few I’m working on right now — one on marriage prep and how the traditional approach to it is failing millions of couples)
It helps, too, that no one else in this house drinks alcohol. My husband has never really been a fan of alcohol and the rest of our family is too young to drink, anyway.
I’ll update this as I go along. Some items may disappear as others join the list.
And if I find books, documentaries, etc. that help me put things in perspective (often because someone I trust recommended them), I’ll add those to my Recommended page.
Welcome to my online hub. Questions are always welcome here. The comment field should be open, but if it’s not and you have questions or comments to share, feel free to email me at sarah@sarahlentzwriting.com.
I won’t pretend I don’t sometimes miss having a drink. But I don’t miss the way my life was when I was overdoing it. And I don’t ever want to go back to that. Life is better now — without alcohol.
Just don’t ask me to give up coffee.