Making a plan to quit is one the most critical components to your success in obtaining sobriety. Depending on your situation, this plan may take hours or days to complete but you cannot skip this step. You must plan carefully and logically. Start by writing things down.

On Monday we shared 5 tips to help get you started.

1. Stop purchasing large amounts of drugs or alcohol. Make it hard on yourself.
2. Get rid of all paraphernalia. Trash it.
3. Schedule a day to deep clean the space you normally get high or drunk in.
4. Tell somebody about your plan.
5. Pick a date and mark it on your calendar.

We also talked about your mindset and how important it is to not self-sabotage. This means that you need to think ahead. Think about anything that might get in your way and how you can overcome it.

Your biggest barrier

Today, we are going to talk more about specific details when making your own plan. First, start with your biggest barrier. For some people it might be family. Other people it might be work or school. How can you make this work? Do you need to ask for help? You might need to take time off of school or work for detox. You might not have that choice. Do you need to wait for a vacation perhaps? Whatever your biggest barrier is, tackle that first.

The details

Once you have tackled your biggest barrier, you will need to think of all the little details. Think about how you can structure your days. Your days need to be filled with back up plans. You may think about getting more entertainment like movies, music, games, etc. Who will you call for support? What can you do if you have a craving? You will need to have structure and a solid plan for each day.

Sleep, food, and exercise

You might not think these three things matter but I can tell you they matter a lot. You will need to make sure you are not getting too much or too little sleep. Sleeping during the night and staying awake during the day can be really helpful. Make sure your diet is well balanced. Try to stick to whole foods as much as possible and limit the amount of sugar you are consuming. And, don’t forget to exercise. If you are not used to getting a lot of exercise challenge yourself to try something every single day, even if it’s just walking around the block. Getting outside, rain or shine, can help stabilize your mood.

We want you to be successful with your plan and that’s why we believe it’s important to think things through before making the decision. The stronger plan you have, the more successful you will be.