10 Tips for Staying Clean and Sober in Sober Housing

When you finally make the decision to become clean and sober, your path may lead you to sober housing. Sober housing can be very effective for finding others who are also committed to their sobriety, allowing you to seek answers among like-minded individuals. Plan your journey for clean and sober living in sober housing; define your goals, seek feedback from those that want to help you, and follow these tips.

Define Your Goals

It is important from the beginning to understand what your purposed outcome is for remaining clean and sober. Defining your goal for abstaining from drug and alcohol abuse is crucial to setting your goals for clean and sober living in sober housing. Goals need to be realistic, concise, achievable and measurable. Setting goals that stretch you beyond your immediate need for sobriety may disconnect you from your purpose.

Seek Feedback From Those that Want to Help You on Your Journey

Conclusive studies reveal that addicts with supportive family, friends, and mutual help groups are much more likely to remain sober for extended periods of time versus formal in-patient treatment groups. If you choose both mutual help groups with formal treatment, your success rate increases even more (Mutual Help Group Roles). It is essential to mark a path to recovery by transitioning into a safe environment after formal treatment while still utilizing your mutual help groups. This often times can be accomplished in sober housing.

Tips for Staying Clean and Sober

Sober housing can help you maintain your commitment to leading a sober life!

Once you’ve transitioned into sober housing, following these additional tips can help you remain clean and sober until you determine it is time to move on.

1. Participate in the house’s mutual help groups – getting to know and knowing your fellow housemates will help keep everyone accountable to their sobriety.
2. Find your purpose in sober housing – It maybe that you find you like to lead groups, it maybe that there is a particular person struggling to remain sober.
3. Know your disease/addiction – Study to understand how your addiction works.
4. Learn from others living an addiction free life.
5. Begin each day meditating on the good. Focusing on the positive promotes good decision making.
6. Continue goal setting for life outside of sober housing.
7. Make amends with as many people in your sphere of influence as you can.
8. Seek your purpose outside of sober housing so that you can transition into the community with a plan.
9. Detoxify your body. Pollutants can continue to affect your perspective after sobriety.
10. Celebrate successes! Acknowledge your commitment to clean and sober living.

Making the decision to live clean and sober is the first step of many toward a new and rewarding life. Each step will have its own challenges. By planning, surrounding yourself with people committed to your success, and following these tips, your stay in sober housing will bring you one step closer to your goal.