Writing Prompt: Self-Care in Sobriety

 Prompt: What do you regularly do to stay healthy, now that you’re sober?

Self-Care in Sobriety 

Ah yes, it’s true, when I was in the grips of my alcohol and marijuana addictions I didn’t take good care of my body. But now that I’m sober—and also soon approaching age 60, yikes!—I’m really in tune with what I need to eat and drink to stay healthy, as well as what exercise I need to do to keep moving and not get rusty. There are also additional things I do to try and be my best. Good health involves taking care of the physical and mental. Here’s a list of my current practices to stay healthy:

1. Try to eat three meals a day, particularly something for breakfast to give me energy to start the day. Drink water during the day and night. Staying hydrated is important.

2. Try to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night, in order to keep my mood stable and feel well-rested to take on the day’s activities.

3. Do 1-hour pool exercise class at least twice a week, to help bust through morning anxiety and feel better all over. If possible, add in a fitness class at the Rec Center once or twice a week. The goal is to get up and out in the morning and exercising to feel better. I must fight back against the sedating aspects of my medication. 

4. Do not isolate at home. Keep up social connections with friends. Nurture relationships with family members, friends, those in the AA fellowship, and women from pool. Have coffee dates, dinners out, and participate in Zooms and text groups. 

5. Continue weekly sessions with talk therapist and meetings with sponsor Shawn.

6. Keep mental health optimal by taking my medication religiously, every day, as prescribed. I’m working on acceptance of the side effects and focusing on things I can do. 

7. I also work on keeping my stress manageable to keep the possibility of a destabilizing bipolar manic episode at bay. I’m extremely grateful that I was able to retire early, though having more free time has led to increased anxiety. 

8. Have regular appointments with my psychiatrist, my endocrinologist, my ob/gyn, my eye doctor, and my family doctor. I have an excellent treatment team watching over me. 

9. And lastly, nurture my relationship with my main support person (and love of my life), my husband Michael. I care for him and he cares for me. We keep each other healthy.