Pandemic Life : Staying Sober, Sane, and Healthy

The past several weeks have been hard on everyone in terms of being locked down and restricted to where we can go and what we can do, but also in terms of our fear of getting sick with the virus known as COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and dealing with the sickness for those of us unlucky enough to come down with the illness.

Then we have the back and forth political fights about who is doing what right and who is to blame for the virus and the lockdowns and everything that falls in between the two — it all has been hard on every one of us , no matter what side we are on.

I personally have strong opinions on the politics of it all as I am sure you do as well.

Those arguments will happen and I do write about the political side of it all in other articles a LOT, but for now and this piece of writing I would like to focus on an equally if not more important part of it all, and that is how we stay well both emotionally and spiritually through this pandemic and everything that goes with it.

For those in recovery from drugs and alcohol, this pandemic has been even more difficult and I would like to focus on just how we in recovery (and the others too) stay sober , sane, and healthy in every aspect as we navigate through this public health crisis and all it entails.

Sobriety is hard during normal times as we have to deal with the constant triggers and temptations, with emotions that are often difficult to handle, and the normal stresses and pressures of life, but add a global pandemic and an isolating quarantine and these troubles multiple as does the level of stress and difficulty.

I am going to outline four areas of life that are challenged during this pandemic that we must address both as recovering people and the others in society who are going through this difficult time.

Physical Health

Exercise and staying in shape is important to everyone. It is an area of our lives that is a must to maintain our health and feel good about how we look on many levels, and it is a way for us to get in a healthy routine that when combined with healthy eating, can be a good way to live.

Those in recovery use this as a way to establish a positive routine and at times as a positive replacement for the addictions that they left behind when they chose a new way of life.

It is important for people in recovery to do something that is good for them as they leave the bad behind, and diet and exercise is something that allows us to have a positive activity to keep us busy while also doing something that is healthy and good for our body, mind, and spirit.

Exercise is good for others too, as is eating healthy and creating a healthy routine of going to the gym and staying in shape, and it has been proven to be good for our state of mind and our goal of being better and doing better on a day-to-day basis.

Once we went on lockdown after the virus started to spread, all of that changed and our outlets of the gym and living this healthy lifestyle was interrupted, and our way of living was sent into a tailspin and for many of us, adjusting to that was difficult and for some, it changed a lot for them, both weight-wise and mentally.

Suddenly, we moved less and ate more.

It is a challenge to keep the weight off and stay in shape, but there are options for people if they work out at home, go on walks, and eat a healthy, lean, and balanced diet. It is different for those who are sick though, working out is hard when you have no energy and being in isolation, eating is the action of the day , everyday.

Gaining weight happens more for those who are sick with the virus who do not lose their appetite, but there are options to keep the weight gain under control — eat healthier items and do your best to get some movement and walks in when you can, so that health and weight management can be attained.

Emotional Balance

The pandemic is hard for anyone. Emotional balance can be hard to achieve for anyone at any time, add the stress of a pandemic and all that goes with being in isolation, avoiding people who are or may be sick, and the money stress created by it all and it becomes much more difficult and can be at times overwhelming.

Mental health is important for everyone. It is important to take care of yourself and take the appropriate steps to have an emotional balance of your feelings along with other aspects of your mental health, either in a situation like this or under normal circumstances.

During the isolation of a lockdown things can be hard for everyone, it can be hard to stay mentally fit and have balanced emotions. We get locked down and our entire routines are upended and that can be hard on anyone, people in recovery who are used to going to meetings and everyone else who all of the sudden, have a different way of life.

We can get through it though by staying focused on positive things and connecting with others via social media, the phone, and so on so that we do not get too depressed and feel too isolated. This is hard on all of us, but we should try and connect with others virtually and do our best to take care of our mental health through it all.

Staying Sober

Staying sober is hard anyways, add this entire situation and it becomes even more difficult to do.

It is important for those of us in recovery to continue with our recovery steps and activities through the lockdown and through being sick, if that is what has happened to us in this whole situation. It is vital that we do not lose our recovery that many of us have worked so hard for, and especially now, it is more important than ever to maintain our sobriety.

I can stay sober NO matter what my present circumstances are is what I tell myself and it is true.

Online meetings via Zoom or other platforms, reading recovery literature, connecting with our sponsors or program friends, and staying connected to people virtually who will hold us accountable and be that ear to listen to our struggles to stay sober and sane throughout this entire process is vital during this time.

Isolation is not a good place for an addict or alcoholic to be and with this whole mess with the pandemic, that is exactly where many of us are at as we try and navigate through it all, but we do not have to drink or use, we have tools that will get us through and we must use those tools to get through this and on to the other side.

Spiritual Well-being

I get it. Not everyone believes in God or a higher power, but for those who do, this is an important part of staying well during this trying time in our lives and the uncertainty of the future.

Having faith can be difficult through all of this, but it certainly is an important part of not feeling hopeless through the mess that we are in, especially since I am sick with this damn virus and many days, do not feel very hopeful, sane, or well.

My belief in God has been an important part of my sobriety and the changes that I have made in my life and it is also an important part of how I deal with this whole pandemic thing and I know others who share these feelings, God or a higher power or whatever you believe in is crucial to getting through a trying time such as this, for so many.

Prayer is hard through times such as this.

We get angry at God/higher power and wonder what this is all about and what is the reason for it, but I find it important to pray anyway, for both things like financial relief and health and patience and tolerance for ourselves as well as for others.

In closing, I must say the following.

These are divisive, scary, and challenging times for us all.

Many do not know where the next meal or rent payment is coming from nor do they know how they will get well if they get sick with this virus. There are those who do not know how to balance work and health and to stay safe from the health crisis, or how to stay emotionally, mentally, and physically fit as we all are isolated and locked down.

Challenging times is a vast understatement!

We all are in this together though and we will get through this as we say in the rooms of recovery — One day at a time.