Staying Sober in Times of Global Uncertainty

Staying Sober in Times of Global Uncertainty

If you’re reading this while struggling, you are not alone. The world is uncertain, but your recovery can remain steady. And in that steadiness, there is profound strength.

Economic Upheaval, Political Unrest, Climate Disasters, or Collective Grief

When the world tilts on its axis the pull of old coping mechanisms can be incredibly strong. Being in recovery, uncertainty isn’t just uncomfortable, it can be dangerous. It’s also where our tools, hard-won through experience and humility, become lifelines.

Accepting That Control Is an Illusion

The first step in any recovery journey is admitting powerlessness over a substance or behavior. In times of global chaos, we’re reminded that this surrender is actually a kind of freedom. We can’t control governments, pandemics, or the news cycle. But we can control how we show up for ourselves and others.

Each day sober is a radical act of hope — a quiet rebellion against fear.

Reconnecting with What’s Real

Does the world feels shaky? Anchoring yourself in the tangible can keep you on steady feet. For me, that’s working with my hands: kneading bread dough, caring for my garden,  experimenting with cheese cultures or even just drawing. These small acts of creation help re-center me in the present moment.

Avoiding Doom-Scrolling and Emotional Isolation

It’s easy to fall into the trap of compulsively checking the news or withdrawing when everything feels too heavy. But isolation is the enemy of recovery. In unpredictable times, we need more real connection, not less. Call someone. Text your sponsor. Revisit Step Nine with fresh eyes. If you can’t change the world today, you can still change how you relate to it — and to yourself.

Letting Recovery Evolve

Your recovery toolbox may look different now than it did before. That’s okay. Prayer can become meditation. Maybe the meetings are on InTheRooms.com now rather than ‘in the rooms’.  Letting your recovery evolve can feel uncertain, but it means you’re growing.

Daily Practices That Make a Difference in Uncertain Times

In chaotic times, consistency becomes the ultimate form of self-care. Here are practices that help me stay present, grounded, and sober — even when the outside world feels like it’s spinning:

• Morning Check-In Before I check the news or reach for my to-do list, I check in with myself. A few minutes of quiet — whether it’s prayer, breathwork, or simply sipping coffee in the quiet, reminds me who I am and where I stand.
• Limit the Noise I give myself permission to not know everything. Knowing my limits for news and social media helps me guard my emotional energy. Staying informed is important, but not as much as staying sane.
• One Act of Creation Whether it’s baking a loaf of bread, painting a soothing watercolor, writing a few lines, or pulling weeds in the garden — I try to make something every day. Creation heals. It reminds me I’m not powerless.
• Reach Out, Even When I Don’t Feel Like It  A short check-in text to a fellow traveler, a call to a sponsor, or even a quick message in a group chat is often the difference between circling the drain and keeping my head above water. Recovery doesn’t thrive in isolation.
• Bookend the Day At night, I ask: Did I stay honest? Did I stay kind? What helped? What hurt? This isn’t about shame — it’s about awareness. I go to bed sober, and that’s the win.

Daily practices don’t have to be grand to be powerful. In times of global turmoil, the smallest consistent choices — to pause, to breathe, to create, to connect — can light the way forward.