When I sobered up over six years without a support system (not even AA), I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. The only thing I knew was that sobriety meant so much more than not drinking. To me, it meant becoming the woman I always aspired to be. So I started engaging in things that would bring me closer to being that person.
I’ve experimented with different self-care rituals, taken sabbaticals, and found what works for me. So I’m sharing with you a look at my self-care rituals and hopefully, you’ll get inspired to pick up a new habit. Don’t forget to get your FREE downloads:
You can get the energy healing video here.
Download the PDF daily reflections journal prompts here. Don’t forget to make a copy of the prompts after you download it so you can take notes on it.
Yoga
When people ask how I got sober on my own, my response is always yoga and meditation. It keeps my sanity, I connect with myself on a prolific level, and it helps me to pacify the storms. I do yoga everyday because I both need and want it. If I skip a day of yoga, I notice how much my mood changes (not in a good way). Meditation can be a struggle at times so I find ways to turn the mundane into a meditative act- like washing the dishes, cleaning, making coffee/tea.
Science has also shown the benefits of yoga and meditation. Aside from yoga relieving stress, it also helps to release repressed trauma. Here’s a really great article about how yoga can support you in recovery. Meditation changes the structure of the brain, giving us more emotional stability and increases our focus so we can prioritize what’s really important to us.
Introspection
Everyday, I take a timeout to reflect on how the day went- what I liked most about it, what area of my life I would like to improve along with the steps I can take to get there. I’ll make a note of it on my phone or write it in my journal. It helps me to gain self-awareness, reinforces what’s important to me and how I can strive to be better today than I was yesterday. It’s in that solitude with nothing but my thoughts that I learn more about my values and desires.
You can download the FREE PDF Daily Reflections here to begin a journey of checking in with yourself everyday. Be sure to make a copy of it after you download the prompts so you can take notes on it.
Exploring my creativity
I didn’t start exploring my creativity until I got sober because it was something I always repressed. For a really long time, I had a debilitating sense of perfectionism fueled with a high sensitivity to criticism. So doing anything creative was a hard limit. When I started to heal the childhood trauma and become more comfortable in my own skin, I began creating more. Most of the time, it’s for my eyes only but it gives me a huge sense of accomplishment and I find so much joy when I’m able to create something that I’ll use.
CLEEN CARMA TIP:
If you’re looking to cure the boredom in sobriety, find some form of creative self-expression. It kills the time and you’ll have an outlet to release repressed emotions.
Reading
I go through phases with books because of my addictive personality- I rarely won’t go to sleep until I finish a book once I’ve started it. So most of my reading time is spent researching whatever my current obsessions are (right now it’s bridging the gap between science and spirituality, restoring vintage sewing machines, sewing, and herbs). Everyday, I commit to at least 30 minutes of reading and I’m always learning something new.
Energy healing
This isn’t just because I’m a reiki master, but I love energy healing- and that includes giving it to myself. It calms me down, helps me to fall asleep at night, and brings me to a place where I feel things are going to be ok no matter how depleted I feel. If my shoulders are tense or my feet are tired, I’ll give myself a massage while watching one of the energy healing videos I created. It’s also a great way to check in with yourself to see where you’re at- energetically, spiritually, emotionally, physically.
Download your FREE energy healing video here.
CLEEN CARMA TIP:
If you’re pressed for time, you can play an energy healing video while doing something else- journaling, yoga, mediation, etc.
Enjoying the simple pleasures
Before I started my own business, I worked in the hospitality industry, chasing promotions. When I look back on those days, I can’t tell you how getting those once coveted roles made me feel because that was a superficial happiness. No matter what title I had, I never felt like I “made it.” There was always this hollow emptiness and I was so oblivious to the fact that what I really needed was to stop running away from myself and learn to come back to myself. It took me so many years to finally realize those promotions weren’t important to me.
The smell of morning dew, the sound of thunder, freshly roasted coffee, that first sip of tea, folding laundry with a candle burning and indie music playing- those moments are what matter to me. So I make it a point everyday to enjoy a simple pleasure because one day, I want to be able to look back knowing that I cherished the little things.
Gratitude
I start each day with saying gratitude for one thing. It’s also easy for me to fall into a trap of reliving the past but throughout the day, I pause to think about one thing I’m grateful for and it brings me back to the present moment. It’s easy, takes less than ten seconds, and instantly shifts my perspective. Gratitude also rewires our brain and releases dopamine and serotonin. So if you’re looking for a quick and easy feel good habit that will change your life, I highly recommend starting a gratitude practice.
What are your favorite self-care rituals and how do you feel you’ve grown and evolved since starting them? Leave a comment below. If you know anyone that would benefit from this, be sure to share it with them.
I’ll see you soon…in the meantime, love yourself so much that even a Hallmark Christmas movie would be jealous.
