What's in your Sobriety ToolKit?
Here are some things to keep close by at all times.....
Cell Phone
fully charged and full of support
A fully charged phone with numbers of your support peers is the number 1 item for your tool kit. Make sure the names inside are support team members that know you may be counting on them during trying times. Don't just wait for an emergency situation to call, discuss your plans with a team member before you get caught in the middle of a big craving!
Candy or Gum occupy your mouth!
Keep something sweet on hand to occupy your taste buds and choppers! A mint, gum or some candy is a great way to get our minds off of the bad stuff!
Alcohol Free Drinks Satisfy the thirst!
When our hands are busy with your favorite hot or cold non-alcoholic drink, they will not be asking us to get them something from the bar! Make the choice to grab an AF beverage before the craving to grab something sets in. Beat your cravings to the punch!
Accountability
A Support Team Ready to Help!
Socializing in a room full of temptation can be very hard, especially when we are new to sobriety. Strengthen your odds at success by telling your support team what your intentions are for the event. Having others that are wanting to see the same results as us is a great way to add insurance to our sobriety. I'd rather have several people working to keep me sober than just myself! Your team will be honored that you asked for their help!
Squeeze Ball
Stress Reliever
When our anxiety levels go through the roof and the tensions of the day send us to that boiling point, it is important to have a way to relieve that negative energy before it causes us to choose a solution we will regret. Having a stress reliever with you to expel that negative energy from ourselves can be critical to get us back into a calmer state where decisions are made more wisely. A stress relieving 'squeeze ball' or other sources to dump our excess energy can be just the thing to get us back into our 'rational' state of mind!
Relaxation App
on your Cell Phone
The internet 'app store' is filled with quick access 'Relaxation' tools that can be used anywhere and at anytime to de-escalate a triggering situation before it gets out of hand. Keeping an app loaded and ready to use on your cell phone can be an excellent way to step back from moments of irrational thought and allow us settle ourselves so that we can re-group with a calmer focus on our sobriety goals.
Journal
Keeping a journal with us to record our emotions, successes and failures is an excellent source of experience to reflect back upon during times of cravings. Writing down our thoughts during moments when we are facing challenges of maintaining our sobriety is an excellent way to discuss these issues in our own heads. Putting our thoughts down on paper gives us the opportunity to analyze them, learn from them and determine the best course of action that we can follow to prevent them from overpowering our goals
Updated List
'Why' was Sobriety the only Solution for me?
When cravings hit us, it is sometimes very difficult to remember all the very valid reasons 'why' we have for chosen a life of sobriety. At the moments when cravings hit us, all those painful memories that made it such an obvious necessity to quit drinking seem to hide when we need them most. Having a list of every reasons 'why' we decided to make this life changing decision can be very helpful in times of crisis. Do you remember 'why' you started this journey? Don't let those reasons fade into your forgotten past. A written list can help jog the memory and help us to make decisions that we will be so thankful for in the morning!