Getting sober is a truly tough task. Finding the courage to ask for help and then going away somewhere to straighten out your life will easily be the hardest thing you ever do in your life but also the greatest. Starting off can be overwhelming though, when you join the journey of getting sober you usually need to change everything. Which is a tall order. Where to start?

Here are some basic keys to build a strong foundation in recovery. 

Find Support

In recovery, you are who you surround yourself with. Finding the right group of people who are all doing the right thing will organically inspire you to do the right thing as well. Unfortunately in recovery there are many people who are not focused on bettering their lives and instead are using unhealthy distractions in order to try not to use drugs again. 

That's because it is very easy to get distracted in recovery. Think about why you use drugs in the first place? To put it simply it's to feel good, so when drugs are out of the equation many people seek alternatives to feeling good like the gym, tattoos, money or most commonly, a relationship.

Another mistake people commonly make is trying to get sober on their own. I always tell people, if you could of done this on your own you would have already. Going about it alone almost AL:WAYS ends very poorly. You must ignore that urge to isolate and do things your way because it is easier. Recovery is about avoiding short cuts. We have been taking short cuts our whole life. 

Stay In Action 

There is so much to do once you discharge from an inpatient treatment center. That means that there is something to do every single day. I found myself sometimes 'giving myself a break' because of all the hard work I was doing early on and those days were the worst. I would sit and 'relax' which usually consisted of me getting inside of my own head and suddenly getting the urge to go get high.

You are building a new life, there will be something to build on every single day. You know what the best part about staying in action is? It feels incredible. The days where I would pause and reflect on how great my life was becoming were some of my greatest moments in my life. 

Be Kind To Yourself

We are our own worst critics. I say things to myself I would never say to my worst enemy. It's not right. You will find that you fall short very often in life when trying to get sober. Striving for perfection is not a healthy thing to do. Make sure you take time out of your day to reflect on your thoughts and the things you are telling yourself. 

The human mind, especially for an addict, can be a very dark place and nearly automatically our mind can begin dominating us so bad that our day has taken a turn for the worst because of it and we can't even tell. 

Doing things like positive affirmations, meditation, journaling and other things can be a great way to curb your negativity. 

I have found that taking time in the morning to sit down, get still and practice some type of ritual can be life-changing. My day is usually predicated on how I get it started. Rolling out of my bed and going right to work is usually a really bad way for me to start. Waking up early, exercising, meditating and doing some positive reflection create a very different and positive day for me. 

Keeping life simple is very important early on in recovery. Our lives won't be built in one day nor will we change in one day. Find the right avenues to go down in life and just keep doing what is simply right and you will create a beautiful life before your very eyes.