Sober living homes are safe and protective places that people go to after rehab.  The transition to being back at home can be a difficult one, especially if you do not have a strong support system.  Whether you are going to move back with family or are heading to a new place to live for a fresh start, here are a few tips to think about to help you after you have completed sober living for men.

Continue to build your support system

You can’t have too much support when you are in sobriety, and leaving your sober home is a time which can be risky in regards to isolating.  Leaving sober living homes for men is sometimes lonely and scary, so it is vital that you have support from your peers in recovery, mentors and family members.  

After leaving your sober house, it is a great idea to continue to meet with your sponsor, go to local meetings, and stay in touch with your friends in recovery.  As you begin to live more independently, you will need help from your support system so that you can remain grounded and firm in your decision to stay clean and sober, especially when you are faced with difficult situations and challenges in life.

Practice budgeting while you are in the sober house

Though living in a sober house in not free, moving out can come with a new set of financial responsibilities.  After moving out, you don’t just need to pay bills and utilities, but you also have to manage a budget which will allow you to live within your means.  Money problems can be challenging, and keeping stress and anxiety down is one of the most important ways of preventing relapsing.  

Learning how you can save money and budgeting while you are in a sober house is a great way of practicing for the real thing.  Ideally, your finances will be in good standing by the time you leave the sober house, you will have kept a job for a few months, and you will feel confident that you can manage your budget and pay debts off while saving for emergencies and expenses in the future.

Setting goals for yourself

After you have moved out of the sober house, you can take time to set goals.  This will give you a purpose, something that you can strive for, and a reason to get out of bed out of bed in the morning.  If you feel like you want help setting goals for yourself, speak with your sponsor or sober house manager for advice.  They might be able to help you set some realistic goals for yourself which you can expand on in the future.

Find meetings that work for yourself

Attending support meetings while you are enrolled in a sober living program is simple as you are often required to go, and you always have someone to go with you.  However, after you have left your sober house, it might become more difficult.  You might have to attend meetings alone, your recovery coach won’t checking in with you as often, and you will have to work out responsibilities and commitments in the house.  

To prepare yourself for these changes, you might want to locate meetings that are near your house and will mesh your work, school and volunteer schedules, and any other responsibilities that might have in your home.  Though it can be tempting to put meetings on the back burner, it is vital that you make them a priority and go to several meetings every week.

Keep your structured routine

Keeping a structured routine is part of living in a sober house.  However, once you have started living by yourself, it is up to you to keep a routine which is beneficial for sobriety, as well as your mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing.  After you have moved out, your routine is likely to look a little different to how it did when you were in a sober house, and this is fine.  What mattes the most is that you keep a sense of structure and balance within your life.  This can empower you to remain sober, reduce anxiety and stress, and live purposefully and joyfully in sobriety.

Opt out of situations that might trigger a relapse

People who are in early recovery can experience a pink cloud, where they feel as though they are on top of the world, and are not affected by the challenges of everyday life.  Once the pink cloud has faded, you begin to start experiencing some of the struggles of your life in recovery, you might find that you become more susceptible to triggers that make you feel like using again.  One you have left the sober living for men, you are not under the protective umbrella anymore, so you should think about avoiding situations or events until a time when you feel robust in your ability to remain sober.