Are You Truly Making Your Sobriety Days Count?
Whether you’re in an active state of sobriety or simply sober-curious, it’s crucial to understand two powerful truths about the “one day at a time” approach that could potentially lead to a relapse.
This concept has been instilled in many of us who journey through sobriety — counting the number of days since our last drink and forming an emotional bond with those numbers. This method, however, can induce subconscious anxiety and become counterproductive, as it might make every day feel like a struggle against a potential loss. Hence, it’s time to reconsider this approach.
The emotional bond to the count of sobriety days often leads to a false sense of security. Without a holistic approach to manage your anxiety — such as hydrating adequately, going for walks, joining a gym, or any other activity that can help you feel secure and confident — every day counted feels like a potential loss.
This is the anxiety that often arises from constantly counting days, a subconscious programming that can trigger cravings after a certain period of being sober, typically a week or two, or sometimes even up to 30 days.
However, the focus should be less on counting the days and more on making those days count. After all, there’s no point in counting days if the days that you’re counting aren’t filled with love, happiness, joy, excitement, and expansiveness. It’s not about just ticking off the days on a calendar, but rather about filling those days with meaningful experiences and tangible progress.
This is, in essence, the difference between merely staying sober and genuinely living a sober life.
When you’re truly engaged in living your life, it becomes irrelevant to count the days. You’re in the moment, you’re feeling it. There’s no need to resist alcohol because you are fully involved in your life. It’s another way of expressing that contented people don’t have to say no to alcohol because they’re too consumed in their happiness.
This is why it’s essential to shift our focus from counting the days to investing our energy into making those days count.
Traversing this path to a fundamentally different approach might seem challenging, but remember, you’re not alone on this journey. As an ex-alcoholic and liver failure survivor, I’ve enabled thousands of individuals to make this switch and I’m here to support you.
Through Beyond Sober and Sober Not Sober, we offer the guidance and resources you need to achieve a fulfilling sober life. You know exactly where to find us.
K O H D I | Beyond Sober
