Sober Tools That Actually Help in Early Sobriety: Part 2

Real strategies to stay grounded when cravings hit and your brain won’t shut up

It’s August, 1991 and I’m pacing the streets around my apartment in Vancouver. My mind was hurricane of thoughts and a typhoon of emotions.

I haven’t been drinking, but I feel completely nuts.

There’s a part of sobriety that doesn’t get talked about enough.

It’s not Day 1, and it’s not the “sober glow” people post about online.
It’s that middle space — when the numbing has stopped, but the healing hasn’t quite caught up.
When your cravings show up like clockwork, your thoughts get weird, and suddenly even brushing your teeth feels like an Olympic event.

This is where the real tools come in.

Not clichés. Not lectures.
Just small, honest supports that help you stay in your skin when everything feels like too much.

Creative Expression: Let the Noise Out

Early sobriety can be loud on the inside. Thoughts crashing. Emotions flaring. Grief, guilt, rage — all jostling for airtime.

Creative tools give that chaos a way out.

  • Journaling — Not for wisdom. Not for Instagram. Just for you.

  • Music — Build playlists for different moods. Angry. Sad. Brave. Let the songs say what you can’t.

  • Art — Scribble. Doodle. Collage. Paint. Rip paper and glue it back together. This is nervous system medicine.

Book to explore: The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron — a gentle guide for reconnecting with your own creative voice.

Books That Walk Beside You

Sometimes you need something more than a quote card. You need a voice — or several — saying, “I’ve been there too.”

Here are a few books people in recovery swear by:

These aren’t assignments. They’re companions. Keep what resonates. Toss what doesn’t.

Move the Feeling, Not Just the Body

This isn’t about punishing yourself for the past.
It’s about helping your body process the present.

  • Walk. Around the block. Down the hallway. Anywhere. Movement shifts the energy.

  • Stretch. Dance. Shake. Let it be weird. Let it be yours.

  • Lie on the floor. Just breathe. Sometimes that’s the whole win.

Harvard Health (2021) confirms what your body already knows: movement regulates mood and supports brain healing in early sobriety.

Podcasts That Say “Me Too”

On the days when your own thoughts are too loud, let someone else speak.

Here are a few favorites:

  • The Bubble Hour — Real stories, mostly women, all heart

  • Recovery Elevator — Honest reflections, practical tools

  • Sobercast — Raw, messy, deeply human conversations

Throw one on during a walk. Or while folding laundry. Or while you’re just lying on the floor wondering what the hell happens next.

This Is a Toolbox, Not a Test

You don’t have to like every tool.
You don’t have to “do it right.”
You just have to try.

Try one thing.
If it helps, keep it.
If it doesn’t, toss it and try something else. That’s not failure — that’s strategy.

The point isn’t to master recovery.
The point is to stay.

Reflection Prompts

You don’t have to answer these perfectly. Just honestly.

  1. Which tool from this list actually feels doable this week?
    (Pick one. That’s enough.)

  2. What are you already doing that helps — even if you didn’t realize it “counted”?

  3. What’s one small comfort that helped you stay present today?
    (Could be a playlist. A walk. A moment of calm. A deep breath.)

Here is a downloadable reflection sheet for your use.

What’s Next

In Part 3, we’ll talk about people — the ones who help you stay. Recovery coaches. Support groups. Honest conversations.
Because even though sobriety is a solo decision, it’s not meant to be a solo journey.

Until then, try one thing. Then another.
You’re building something. Even if it’s slow. Even if it’s messy.
You’re still here. That counts.

Kevin Diakiw