I’m 3 Years Sober–Now What?

It’s been 1,095 days since you last used drugs or alcohol. You’ve cleaned up the financial messes you made. You’ve developed healthy relationships. You’re holding down a steady job. It seems you’ve won the major battles.

Now, you’re wondering what’s next. Is the war over? If so, what does a soldier do when the fighting is done?

You don’t want to become complacent and risk returning to old habits or relapsing. You also don’t want to get stuck in a holding pattern waiting for the other shoe to drop or waiting for something better to happen.

What’s My Next Move?

“What’s next?” is a common question, and your best response is to stay committed to your recovery. By developing healthy patterns of behavior, you can maintain your sobriety.

A Simple Framework: Body, Mind, Community

A simple way to stay grounded is to focus on three areas:

1. Body
2. Mind
3. Community

Give the following tips a try; they’ll keep you grounded and on the right track.

Healthy Body

Support your sobriety by caring for your body.

Regular exercise is a great tool for putting a stop to unhealthy, compulsive behaviors. And a healthy diet lends a helping hand by increasing your self-esteem and boosting your general outlook on life.

Patterns of addiction usually result in poor personal care and poor physical health. By turning this around and continuing to improve your health, you encourage healthy habits and continue to tread on the recovery path.

Healthy Mind

Keep growing. Try new experiences, celebrate milestones, and fill your mind with positive routines that support long-term sobriety.

Have you tried anything new in the past year? Did you travel? Take a class? Read a book?

Studies show that people who invest in personal growth experiences are happier than those who invest in material possessions. Make an effort to get out there and enjoy life. Do things to create new, positive memories. A mind occupied with healthy things is unlikely to return to “stinking thinking.”

Another important activity that is often overlooked is the celebration of milestones. As you reach a “sober anniversary,” do something to acknowledge it. It can be as simple as having dinner at your favorite restaurant or as extravagant as a luxury vacation.

The idea is to recognize how far you’ve come by celebrating in a fun, healthy way. This is a good way to keep your mind focused on success.

Healthy Community

Stay connected and purposeful. Invest in people, give back, and build a supportive community that strengthens your recovery.

As you invest in healthy experiences, invest in people, too. This should involve efforts beyond the development of friendships or healing family bonds (although those things are good).

Find volunteer opportunities in your community, break from your normal routine, and find ways to help others, learn new skills, form new relationships, and find new purpose. By being a part of a healthy community, you develop a sense of well-being.

When “What’s Next?” Becomes “What Matters?”

With this “triple play” of healthy living, you’ll constantly set and meet new goals in all areas of your life. Suddenly, the question “What’s next?” takes on a whole new meaning!

Need More Support?

If you’d like extra support as you write your next chapter, Recovery.com can help you find treatment options to meet your needs. Whether you're looking to strengthen your recovery with support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or need more support with an inpatient treatment program, the right option is waiting for you.