As a sober college student, reuniting with your friends after a long break can lead you back to the life of drug abuse to which you have earlier said goodbye.

Here is a list of proven 10 habits of highly successful sober college students that you can practice to maintain your sobriety when you are back at school. Also, check here for one of the best west palm rehabs.

• Surround yourself with other sober people who are looking to maintain sobriety: the first thing you have to do is change your circle of friends. You need those friends who are seeking to achieve your desired lifestyle. Hanging around people who are drug addicts or substance abusers may easily destroy your will of staying sober. Thereby causing you to suffer a relapse.

• Seek professional help: It may be difficult to ensure your sobriety without the help of a professional. You can seek admission at rehab centers where the professionals will help you create a treatment plan that will ensure you remain sober while in college.

• Avoid parties: It is counterintuitive for you to attend parties if you are working towards maintaining sobriety.  Parties organized by college students are commonly associated with drugs like alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, and other hard drugs. In the world of most college students, they need to be high so as to experience the thrill of the party.

• Join a self-help group: Beyond changing your immediate circle of friends, join self-help groups where the people present are also trying to maintain sobriety. This helps to keep you accountable and you will also be able to draw motivation from other people’s stories.

• Volunteer to help your local community whenever the opportunity springs up. The struggle to become sober and free from drugs can make your lifestyle become a lonely one. Joining a volunteering group while recovering is a good way to kill boredom and protect your mental health.

• Don’t overstress yourself: College life is one of stress, and when you feel your schedule is getting overbearing for you to manage, it is recommended you seek an audience with your administrator that you need a break.  

• Create healthy coping mechanisms: Instead of resorting to drugs or alcohol abuse whenever you feel overwhelmed. Endeavor to engage in activities like Yoga, exercising, and so on as they help you feel happier by releasing endorphins and lowering stress levels.

• Find new hobbies: To maintain your sobriety you must break free from your old interests and develop new habits that will help you construct a life of positivity.

• Meditation: meditation helps one to achieve the state of utopia necessary for forming a connection with your inner self. Forming this connection leads to improved mindfulness, a clear mind, and positive thoughts which are key to maintaining long-term sobriety.

• Maintain a healthy diet: The usual diet of a college student is full of junk i.e. sugar and processed foods but this can’t be your diet when you are in your recovery phase. Seek professional assistance to develop a healthy meal plan to sustain you through your recovery phase.

• Be kinder to yourself: Finding the ability to trust yourself after going through a phase of substance abuse can be difficult but you have to be kind to yourself. For everything bad that happened to you could have been worse. So be grateful, and show faith in yourself that you will turn your story for the better.

• Plan your day: Having too much free time is how college students find themselves in substance abuse in the first place. So start scheduling your days with tasks to be done. This helps you to be more productive and helps you avoid a relapse.