Apps and Tips to Help in Early Recovery

Recovery is hard—especially early recovery. It’s a given. Everyone has a tough time sticking with it, so any extra aids and tips are basically gold. Because it’s the 21^st century, a number of apps have been created to help keep you sober and on the right recovery path. From daily trackers to 12-step to lifestyle apps, there are tons to choose from. To help, here are five tips and our top three favorite apps to help you have an easier transition into early recovery. 

Five Early Recovery Tips

1. Manage your cravings and find new activities. This may mean that you need to find a new group of sober friends. It’s important to keep busy to help your mind not focus on substances or alcohol. So, try hiking or yoga or painting—have you ever wanted to learn a certain skill but didn’t have the time or energy? Go for it! 
2. Practice saying “no.” It’s a powerful tool. Think of it as both your sword and shield. There will be plenty of times in the future where you’ll need to use it. Say no and mean it. You don’t owe any explanations.  
3. Eat healthy. A healthy diet can help you feel better. And the sooner you start it, the easier it’ll be to get over those cravings that come with early sobriety. Those mornings of greasy hangover food are a thing of the past. Try some oatmeal with fresh veggies or soft-boiled eggs with whole wheat toast when you get up. Yogurt is a great snack for mid-afternoons.
4. Keep trying no matter what. It’s going to be hard. But you can do it. With a solid support system and good attendance at meetings, you can get through it. Take it one day at a time and remember to breathe. 
5. Track your progress. It’s great when you can actually see those clean days pile up. Look forward to waking up and see how well you’re doing. Whether you track your progress on a calendar or journal—whatever. It’s so helpful to see those days, weeks, moths add up.

There are plenty of apps to sift through and we know—it can get overwhelming. So, we went through the list and picked our top three favorite apps to aid in early recovery. However, never let an app replace the people in your life. Continue going to meetings, talking to friends, and your sponsor.  

Our Top Three Favorites

1. SoberTool. This app helps not only track your days sober, but it also sends daily alerts to keep you motivated and tracks how much you’re saving by entering recovery. If you’re feeling low and unmotivated, there are also questions you can answer that will lead you to some inspirational messages.   
2. WEconnect. This has more structure and allows you to log a lot of your progress. Think of it as a calendar for sobriety. Log reminders to attend meetings, talk to a sponsor—anything. You can also use the list of “clarity routines” to help remind you to partake in certain activities you would otherwise forget about. And if you’re feeling really triggered or unmotivated, it has a section where you can get even more support. 
3. Strides. This isn’t only for tracking sobriety. With this app, you can set up up to four trackers for almost anything like eating habits, exercise—you name it. You can log in a goal and set your pace. Looking to break a bad habit? This can help you track your progress in that area as well.