Transformative Lifestyle Changes to Support Alcohol Detox

Planning to give yourself the best chance at long-term recovery?

Awesome. You’ll need more than just detox, though. The real work starts after you get alcohol out of your system. It’s all about building the right habits in the months ahead.

The best part is these don’t have to cost a dime. In fact, some of the most powerful steps involve tiny daily changes to the way you live. We’ve got the full details below…

Let’s dive in…

Why Lifestyle Matters During Alcohol Detox
The 5 Best Lifestyle Changes for Recovery
Building Habits That Stick
Creating Your Support System
Tying It All Together

Why Lifestyle Matters During Alcohol Detox

Alcohol detox can be brutal both physically and mentally.

Even the most unpleasant withdrawal symptoms pale in comparison to long-term sobriety when you have bad habits and no coping skills. That’s not fear-mongering, it’s a fact. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism reports that just 2.5% of people with alcohol use disorder received medication-assisted treatment in 2017. That leaves the majority of people counting on lifestyle changes and willpower.

Holy crap that’s a lot of pressure on just “good intentions”.

Thankfully professional New Jersey alcohol detox programs combine medical support and guidance with teaching healthy habits. New Jersey alcohol detox centers give people the best chance of success and lay the foundation for a different lifestyle. This balance between professional care and positive new routines is what makes for long-term change.

So how does this work?

Simple. Detox is about clearing alcohol from the system. Lifestyle changes rebuild the foundation of the life that alcoholism ruined. Without new, healthy routines, old habits will eventually come creeping back.

Here are the 5 best ways to overhaul your lifestyle and build a solid sobriety routine.

The 5 Best Lifestyle Changes for Recovery

These 5 lifestyle changes are the key to alcohol detox and successful long-term recovery. Pick a few to start with and focus on making them habits before moving on.

Exercise Regularly

Exercise is the most powerful thing you can do during alcohol detox and recovery.

Why? Physical activity pumps the brain full of the feel-good chemicals alcohol used to supply. It also helps reduce stress and repairs the physical damage that heavy drinking causes.

Here’s the kicker. The best exercise is the kind you actually do. This means you don’t have to be a gym junkie to make a difference. Something as simple as a daily 30-minute walk has powerful benefits. Consistency is more important than intensity. Start small and build gradually.

Exercise also creates structure. There’s less temptation to isolate if you have a regular workout schedule.

Practice Mindfulness and Meditation

Sound woo-woo? Think again. Meditation and mindfulness are powerful weapons against relapse.

A recent study from the National Institutes of Health showed participants meditating reported being abstinent on 94.5% of all study days. That’s pretty impressive.

Here’s the deal…

Meditation and mindfulness create awareness and space between stimulus and reaction. They teach people to recognize cravings and triggers before they become automatic. Instead of mindlessly reacting to a craving or stressor, there’s time to choose a different path.

And you don’t have to be a master zen buddhist monk to do it. A 5-minute meditation app can get you started. Headspace or Calm are great beginner choices. The key is daily practice. Just a few minutes of focused breathing each day helps reduce stress and improve mental clarity.

Fix Your Sleep

Alcohol addiction is a sleep disorder.

Sleep problems are the rule, not the exception during alcohol detox. And the consequences of a bad night’s rest compound every problem you face while recovering.

Here are some quick fixes:

Regular bedtimes and wake up times
No screens for an hour before bed
Cool and dark sleep environment
Caffeine blackout after noon

Quality sleep gives the brain and body time to heal. It’s also when the body does most of its repair work. Good sleep should be a non-negotiable part of the detoxification process.

Eat Better

Heavy drinking leaves a lot of nutritional destruction in its wake.

Nutrition is a big part of the healing process during recovery. The worst thing you can do is let cravings for refined sugars and fast foods derail progress.

Focus on real whole foods. Lots of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats. These are the building blocks your body needs to repair the damage.

Drink lots of water too. Dehydration is common during alcohol detox and makes every problem worse. Aim for at least 8 glasses a day.

Sugar cravings can be intense at first. The body craves fast acting energy when coming off alcohol. Try to satisfy these cravings with fruit rather than processed foods or candy.

Build Strong Social Connections

Isolation is a fast track to relapse.

Strong social support is one of the most important factors for long-term sobriety success. That means surrounding yourself with people who have your back and cutting ties with those who don’t.

The stats say as much. Recovery data published this year reports relapse rates as between 40-60% for substance use disorders. Support systems make a big difference in those numbers.

Support groups are a great place to start. Alcoholics Anonymous and SMART Recovery both offer local and online community support. Being around people who get it can make a real difference.

Family and friends are important too. Make sure they understand how they can help. Sometimes that means spending time together. Sometimes that means leaving you alone to do your own thing. Communication is key to prevent hurt feelings and misunderstandings.

Building Habits That Stick

Making positive lifestyle changes is easy. Implementing them day in and day out? Not so much.

This is the hard part. Here are a few tips to make it work.

Start small and build up.

The key is to pick the easiest habit to implement first. Then move on to the next easiest one once you’ve got some momentum and confidence with your first habit. Overloading with too much change at once guarantees burnout and failure.

Track progress.

Write down daily habits in a journal or habit tracking app. Keeping a record and being able to visualize consistency is a powerful motivator. Missing a day here or there is not failure. Just pick up where you left off tomorrow.

Anchor new habits to existing routines.

The more a new habit can be attached to a strong habit already in place the better. Want to start meditating? Do it right after brushing your teeth in the morning. Anchoring to an already established habit is a good way to make it automatic.

Be patient.

Habits take time to form. Even the best intentioned people need to keep showing up. Research suggests a new behavior is required to be shown 66 days to become automatic. Stick with it even when you feel like no progress is being made.

Creating Your Support System

Another way to think about this is professional help and support people as part of your “support system”. These are crucial elements of a healthy recovery.

Support doesn’t just happen. The right support system includes multiple layers. The professional help of doctors, therapists or counselors. That’s the foundation. Support groups add community and social accountability. Friends and family are the daily doses of encouragement.

Don’t be afraid to reach out for help.

Asking for support shows strength, not weakness. Most people want to help. They just don’t know how. Clear communication is everything here.

Tying It All Together

Healthy lifestyle changes are the foundation of successful alcohol detox and long-term sobriety. By rebuilding the physical and mental landscape that alcohol destroyed and replacing it with new patterns.

Recap time: