Trading Addictions

Trading Addictions :

When we become sober we face a trap of simply trading one addiction for another.
Some things that people will trade:

No Alcohol = Increased Smoking
No Smoking = Increased Snacking
No Drugs = Working more (workaholic)

While some addictions are certainly more detrimental and more dangerous than others, the only route to true sobriety and serenity is BALANCE in all aspects of our lives. Learning to eliminate the extremes of our lives is a key step to sobriety. For me I enjoyed the challenges of ruining my life and then trying to dig my way out of the problems (sick.., I know :) ) The extreme ups and downs will do nothing for your life long term, but they create the illusion of fun in the short term.

Leveling out/ Balancing our lives is a day to day effort. What are some ways we can do this?

1. Daily Meditation -
This doesn't have to be down on a yoga mat, or a zen like experience.... but simply put every day take a few minutes of peace and quit and relax and center your thoughts to the present moment. Try and remove anxieties and stress from your mind, focus on your breathing, and just be in the present moment.

2. Stick to a sleep regiment -
For me my alcoholism was partly a "self medicated" remedy to insomnia. What is the #1 thing you can do to get your sleep pattern back on track? Get up at the exact same time every day... no matter what... if you don't sleep one night still get up at the exact same time every day. Eventually this habit will cause you to be tired by bed time.

3. Continue to Improve Your Life -
Every day spend a little time doing some educational/inspirational reading. Evaluate where you are currently and where you want to be in the future. Take small steps to make it happen. For me simply not picking up a drink today is an improvement in my life. It takes a while of continued sobriety for your "life improvement" to become apparent, but believe me.. you will hit a point where your life is drastically better than it was when you were drinking or using. You will reach a point where you see the benefits starting to snowball and you will use this momentum to keep you doing the right thing, one day at a time of course.

Discussion Question : Do you struggle with balance in your life? What has helped you?