Whether it’s weekend nights out on the town, 5 pm drinks with co-workers, or watching sports on a big screen at home with friends, alcohol has historically gone hand-in-hand with socialization. This can mean that maintaining sobriety while trying to maintain friendships and active social life can be challenging. That said, sober living and good times are not mutually exclusive. If you or someone you love could use professional expert help managing a healthy social life and recovery from drug or alcohol addiction, reach out to Midwest Recovery online today or call us at 833.627.0039.
Sobriety and a Social Life
We live in a world where binge-drinking and partying with friends tends to be glamorized on social media and in television commercials. For individuals in recovery, sober living can induce fears of losing friends and missing out on the fun. You may be an anomaly as a sober person, but it is possible to achieve sobriety and a thriving social life. Here are four simple and fun ways to stay sober while remaining active with friends.
Socialize With the Right People
As you work on maintaining sobriety, surround yourself with the right people for socializing that won’t put you in a dangerous position. This may mean addition by subtraction if certain so-called friends are not encouraging your sobriety. It is important to remember that the best people in your life will love you and support your sober living. They will still enjoy spending time with you without the artificial aid of alcohol or drugs.
Seek Out Alternative Activities
There are more ways to socialize than simply heading to a bar or a nightclub. Be a positive agent of change in the lives of your social circle by seeking out and suggesting alternative activities that prompt sober living, like:
- Ride bikes
- Go for a hike
- Have dinner at a BYOB and NOT bringing a bottle
- Take a spin class together
- Try yoga
- Host a game night
- Go camping
- Find a dark sky site for an epic night of stargazing
- Visit a museum
- Book a historical walking tour of your town or city
- Try an escape room
- Start a book club
- Play paintball
- Volunteer as a group to build houses or clean up/paint a rec center
- Take a class (photography, cooking, painting, etc.) at a local community center
Make a Budget
Seriously, get into personal finance and realize how much extra money sober living will afford you. Maintaining sobriety and not spending $14 on mixed drinks while at dinner or $20+ on bottles of wine to have at home will supercharge your ability to save money. With all this extra cash, you can:
- Save for a home or bigger apartment
- Travel the world
- Be more charitable
- Afford a new car payment
- Go back to school
Once you see what’s possible on your budget when you reduce your drinking budget to $0, you will have additional motivation to embrace sobriety and design a social life, supporting your effort to stay sober.
Become a Mocktail Mixologist
Almost any mixed drink can be made into a tasty virgin mocktail. Learn how to make fruity and flavorful drinks without the alcohol and host glamorous mocktail parties at your place. When your friends learn how easy it is to do and how delicious these drinks are, too, you may start a trend and help your social circle embrace sober living too.
Learn More at Midwest Recovery
If you or someone you love is struggling with sobriety, learn how the caring addiction treatment team at Midwest Recovery can help rebuild your life. And then we’ll show you how to work on your social life and recovery too. Contact us using our secure online form or call us at 833.627.0039 today.
