Seeking Sobriety After College
Lots of college students spend their nights and weekends partying. They want to get it all out of their system before they head off into a career. Though this plan is a good-intentioned one, it doesn’t always work out the way one hopes. You may need to work hard at seeking sobriety after college so you can maintain a level head and keep your wits about you when it comes to work.
Get Treatment
A local treatment facility may be necessary if you’ve hit the bottle hard. Perhaps you’ve even partaken in some other substances. For example, if you’re a student at UC Irvine or Pepperdine, a Newport Beach rehab facility offers treatment options that can help you detox and get off the path you’ve been on. It can help to eliminate alcohol and other substances from your lifestyle when you’re away from the world and don’t have it in close proximity to you.
Improve Your Health
You should work to fully improve your health so you don’t find yourself turning to alcohol again. When you eat unhealthy foods, stay out late, binge watch shows without getting up for exercise, smoke, and partake in other poor habits, you’re more likely to fall back to old ones. It’s important to be healthy if you hope to maintain a positive work/life balance.
At least a 30-day booze break is recommended to help jumpstart your health journey. It will cut back your calorie count, which is great for your weight. It can rejuvenate your skin. You may even experience better sleep and more energy when you’re not drinking. If you’re looking for more creativity, better endurance, and enhanced mood, then keeping alcohol away from you is a great start. You’ll start to look and feel better and can use your renewed energy to put effort into your well-being.
Find Other Coping Mechanisms
Sometimes drinking gets used as a coping mechanism for stress. It’s one thing to drink your troubles away when your only worry is the next test you have to pass. When you have a deadline at work that’s on your mind, alcohol isn’t the answer. In fact, it may worsen the problem. You need to find other coping mechanisms that are healthy and can be used both day at night, whether you’re at work or at home.
For example, exercise is a great option. It releases endorphins that can enhance your mood. You’ll ease whatever is stressing your mind and get to boost your health and wellness in the process. When you’re at work, stretch when you can. Use a stand-up desk rather than one you sit at. Use your lunch break to take a walk. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Bike or walk to work instead of driving. There are lots of ways to incorporate exercise into your workday.
Drink Differently
If you still want to have a drink, that’s your prerogative. Just drink differently. That is, don’t do it just to get drunk. Instead, treat it as the occasional option, such as when you want to have a wine and cheese night with friends or attend a wine tasting. These options are fine, and they won’t encourage you to overdo it. If you start thinking of alcohol in a different way then you’ll be less likely to rely on it or abuse it.
Alcohol may be legal once you’re 21, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Enjoy the occasional drink if you like, but once you have a career it is really best to avoid it as much as possible — especially during the workweek when you have a job to do. You want your mind sharp and ready to focus on the tasks ahead of you.