Practical Recovery & Self-Care Strategies from Calgary Addiction Counselling Therapists
Reclaiming Your Life, One Step at a Time
Recovery isn’t a single moment; it’s a daily practice of choosing healing over habits that no longer serve you. Whether you’re newly sober or have been on your recovery journey for years, the process can feel both empowering and overwhelming.
The truth is: healing takes work, but it doesn’t have to mean perfection. Real progress often comes through small, sustainable acts of care that rebuild trust — with your body, your mind, and yourself.
Our Calgary addiction counselling therapists have years of experience walking alongside those who are engaged in addiction recovery and are living a life that is happy, joyous and free. Something many thought would never be possible when they were caught in the ravages of active addiction.
Addiction Recovery Resources to Get You Started From Our Calgary Addiction Counselling Therapists
Wherever you are at in your journey, our Calgary addiction counselling therapists offer you a few resources for self-reflection and checking in:
Free Online Quiz. For our Calgary addiction counselling therapist’s first resource, they invite you to check out a free self-check quiz: Do I Need Addiction Counselling? This quiz, while not diagnostic or a replacement for professional assessment, can give you a sense of how you are doing at this time.
If you have been in recovery for years, there is the possibility that addiction has crept back into your life in ways you might be missing. It is not uncommon that people notice impulsivity or compulsivity in behaviours like spending, media use, food, or work, though they have been substance or behaviourally sober in other areas.
If you are just exploring recovery, you may be sitting with these thoughts and feelings alone and wanting a more objective perspective. These reflection questions can offer you some insight as to where you are at. The more ‘yes’ responses, the more likely it is that your current experience would benefit from additional support
Free Addiction Recovery Handbook. This workbook offers you information plus reflection questions to open up more honesty, vulnerability, and awareness of what is going on in your experience. Download the handbook anytime and come back to it as your journey evolves.
Free Resource on Dealing with Triggers. Your experience with triggers (people, places and/or things that can activate memories and cravings) will shift over time. Sometimes triggers can be relatively quiet and not impactful, whereas at others they may feel like they are preying on your vulnerability or overwhelm. Here is a free guide from our Calgary addiction counselling therapists with some practical suggestions on how to navigate any triggers you are experiencing.
Distraction Techniques for When Emotions & Cravings Are High. Distraction has a bad wrap in the addiction recovery world as many argue that addiction itself is inherently a distraction from self, life, feelings, trauma and more. While this is true, there is a time and a place for refocusing our attention. Have you ever tried to have a productive conversation with someone while you’re feeling intensely angry? It doesn’t go well. Sometimes we need time to calm ourselves down before we revisit what is happening. This is the essence of emotional regulation.
Our Calgary addiction counselling therapists hope that you’ll find value in these as a way to support yourself. Below are some additional tools and strategies to support you in your recovery.
Our Calgary Addiction Counselling Therapists Tips for Recovery
Throughout our years of supporting those navigating addiction recovery, we’ve seen things that work (and things that don’t). Here are some of the things that generally have a good track record for people:
1. Structure Your Days with Purpose
One of the hardest parts of early recovery is filling the time that used to revolve around substance and/or behaviour use. Establishing structure can help bring stability back into your life find our Calgary addiction counselling therapists. .
Start with anchors: Wake up and go to bed around the same time. Eat regular meals. Schedule therapy, group meetings, or journaling sessions as non-negotiables. Creating reminders and accountability makes it more likely that these new behaviours will occur and, eventually, become habit.
Break down your days: Set 2–3 realistic goals each morning (or night before so that you know what you are doing and when the next day) — even simple ones like “take a walk” or “call a friend.” Be specific and know when you will be walking, where you’ll be going, or who you’ll be talking to in order to take the guesswork (and ability to say no) out of it. These actions may be in addition to school or work and need to be built in around those.
Use tools that keep you grounded: A planner, reminders, and/or a recovery app can help you stay accountable and organized.
Structure isn’t about control — it’s about creating a rhythm that supports healing. As you progress in your recovery, you may find that you still do these things they are just not as effortful because they have become a natural part of your days.
2. Build a Support Network You Can Trust
Recovery is not meant to be done alone. Having safe, non-judgmental connections can make all the difference. Our Calgary addiction counselling therapists actually find that this is one of the biggest things that helps people at any stage of their recovery. Those who have meaningful, trusted connections tend to have better outcomes in their recovery and quality of life than those who do not.
Lean on professionals: Therapists, counselors, or peer support specialists can guide you through triggers and emotional ups and downs. They may start off as some of your only trusted supporters but, over time, will encourage and guide you to build new connections that exist in your personal day-to-day.
Find community: You may want to consider joining a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or another 12-Step program, SMART Recovery, or another online or in person recovery community. Connection replaces isolation — one of addiction’s strongest allies. Our Calgary addiction counselling therapists find that those who participate in support groups tend to feel less shame, more hope, and long-term sobriety outcomes.
Set boundaries: Distance yourself from relationships that enable or minimize your recovery. While this is difficult at first, over time you will become more protective of your health and learn how to recognize the feelings that come with being in safe vs. unsafe territory. Protect your peace, even if it feels uncomfortable.
3. Relearn How to Care for Your Body
Addiction often disconnects us from our physical selves. Reconnecting begins with small, consistent acts of care:
Eat. Blood sugar crashes can mimic anxiety or craving. Nourishment helps regulate mood and energy. It also provides your body much needed fuel for navigating emotions, stress, change, and life. Often in active addiction people neglect regular and/or nutritious meals and there is a deficit that the body needs to catch up on.
Move. Exercise doesn’t have to be intense — a gentle walk, stretching, or dancing in your living room can release tension and improve mood.
Rest. Sleep repairs both your body and brain. Creating a bedtime routine signals safety and calm. Many people may go to bed during the time when cravings are highest as they find this a healthy and helpful alternative to staying awake and trying to ‘fight through’ them.
Care. Our Calgary addiction counselling therapists love celebrating when people re-integrate acts of care like putting lotion on their body, having a facial routine, shaving, or exfoliating. This signals to the individual that they are worth it and are taking care of themselves again and this feels great.
These habits remind your nervous system that it’s safe to exist without substances. As time progresses, the routines you engage with in each of these areas will also evolve. Coming back to the basics and checking in on how you’re taking care of yourself is essential at all phases of recovery as it can be easy to start to neglect yourself. This self neglect can be a subtle, but slippery, slope back to acting out. Therefore, it is important to regularly connect with yourself and see how you are doing with the basic essentials. This is where having accountability from trusted supports can be helpful too as they might notice you are skimping on the basics quicker than you do.
4. Develop Emotional Regulation Skills
Substances and behaviours often numb feelings that feel “too much.” In recovery, those emotions resurface and continue (as you’re still human) — and learning to cope with them in healthy ways is key. While these skills may not be your top priority when entering recovery, they become more important over time as life and feelings continue and people realize they either need to learn to cope in different ways or they are at risk of returning to the life they are wanting to shift.
Our Calgary addiction counselling therapists suggest these approaches as a stepping stone:
Name what you feel. Labeling emotions reduces their intensity and gives you perspective. One of our Calgary addiction counselling therapist’s favourite resources is the Feeling Wheel to help name and specify the emotions that are going on inside of you. Taking time daily to review this and see what jumps out is a great starting point. From there, you will continue to refine your identification skills. Emotions that are named can be tamed.
Ground yourself in the present. Breathing exercises, mindfulness, or sensory grounding can keep you from spiraling. Our Calgary addiction counselling therapists find that people overcomplicate these processes and think they are something fancier than they are. Taking time to take a deep breath in and out, notice the feel of water in your hands while doing dishes, or slowly drinking a cool glass of water are all examples of sensory grounding (or mindfulness). Simple. Not so simple to do when our mind wants to be anywhere but here, but there is nothing complex about mindfulness. In fact, it can be one of the easiest and most powerful tools for refocusing when emotions are becoming more intense.
Express creatively. Journaling, art, movement, or music can help release emotions that words can’t capture.
Working with an addiction counselling therapist can help you build coping tools tailored to your emotional triggers as well as offer other customized tips, strategies and action to support your recovery.
5. Practice Self-Compassion Daily
Guilt and shame often linger in recovery but healing doesn’t come from self-punishment — it comes from self-forgiveness. Our Calgary addiction counselling therapists want to remind you to:
Talk to yourself as you would to a friend. We are always kinder, more realistic, and more empathetic towards others. If we can bring some of this approach into our relationship with ourselves-great!
Remember: slips or setbacks don’t erase your progress; they’re part of learning. View whatever comes up as an opportunity for growth rather than for punishment.
Celebrate your daily victories — one healthy meal, one honest conversation, one sober day. All of these are amazing and worthy of celebration. Our Calgary addiction counselling therapists often recommend that people do a daily gratitude check-in after their emotional one using the Feelings Wheel. This can allow you to connect with the specific things that happened that day that you can celebrate. This builds self-realism and compassion.
Our Calgary addiction counselling therapists often recommend the work of Kristen Neff and Tara Brach for support around building self-compassion. There are many other great teachers out there who can help you connect with the gentler, more loving side to yourself.
6. Create a Vision for Your Future
Addiction can blur your sense of identity and rob you of your goals and aspirations. Rediscovering what matters to you — your values, passions, and goals — helps rebuild purpose and is an exciting (though can be scary) part of the recovery journey that our Calgary addiction counselling therapists see.
Ask yourself:
What kind of person do I want to be?
What brings me peace or meaning?
How do I want to contribute to my community or loved ones?
Here is a list of values (though not exclusive by any means) that you may also want to review to explore what matters to you. Living authentically is an important aspect of recovery as people feel they have been living a lie for so long. Therefore, actions that are in alignment with your values are an important part of growth.
7. Learn Your Personal Brand of Fun
Not sure who you are and what you like to do anymore? That’s okay! Recovery is often labelled as an experimental time by our Calgary addiction counselling therapists as you may need to try out lots of different things to find the fun, hobbies, people, and lifestyle that is a current fit for you. Here is a short-list of suggestions that they see come up all the time:
Try a painting or pottery class (bonus: it’s therapeutic and social).
Start a creative journal — collage, doodle, write, or use prompts.
Learn to play an instrument or join a local music jam or choir.
Take a photography walk and capture the beauty in everyday life (you can do this with your phone, no expensive equipment is required for experimenting).
Experiment with cooking or baking to see if this is something that you enjoy. If you want you could host a sober “test kitchen” night.
Try adult coloring books or DIY crafts. This can be calming and surprisingly fun (though if it annoys you, it’s not your brand of fun and that’s okay!)
Explore yoga, meditation, and/or breathwork. This can start with short guided sessions either through a class or online app or service. You might want to try free trials or get a guest pass before committing to anything.
Spend an afternoon in nature: hiking, beach walks, or forest bathing. Our Calgary addiction counselling therapists hear often that nature makes the best therapy for most of their clients. The benefits from nature can be quite profound.
Visit botanical gardens or nature reserves.
Start a small garden or care for indoor plants to see if a green thumb is something you enjoy at the current time.
Try sound baths, reiki, or other holistic experiences. Try not to knock things until you try them. You never know what you might enjoy or find value in!
Host a sober game night (board games, trivia, or Mario Kart never get old).
Organize a mocktail-making party — everyone brings an ingredient.
Go to live music, comedy shows, or open mics — the atmosphere is still electric.
Join or start a book club or podcast club (low-pressure, great conversation).
Try a volunteer activity — shelters, food banks, animal rescues. It’s deeply rewarding and community-building.
Attend sober community events, such as AA picnics, yoga in the park, or sober festivals.
Go rock climbing, kayaking, or stand-up paddleboarding.
Try indoor bouldering, spin, dance classes or other activities that are either new or familiar to you.
Explore day trips to nearby towns or hidden local gems. Act like a tourist for a few hours or a day, this can be rejuvenating and refocusing.
Join a recreational sports league (softball, dodgeball, pickleball — all great sober fun). If these activities involve drinking before or after, you can work with your supports to identify ways to navigate this in a way that feels comfortable to you.
Go on a weekend hiking or camping trip with sober friends.
Try roller skating or ice skating — playful and nostalgic.
Host a movie marathon or “bad movie” night.
Try a puzzle or LEGO night (sounds nerdy — actually amazing).
Redecorate or rearrange your living space — fresh energy, fresh mindset.
Visit a museum, art exhibit, or historical site.
Attend local farmers markets, street fairs, or craft shows.
Explore coffee shops, arcades, or bookstores — guilt-free browsing.
Take a class (language, cooking, pottery, photography, etc.).
Start a side project or blog about your recovery journey.
Learn mindfulness, CBT, or communication skills through free online courses.
Create a vision board for your sober goals.
Try public speaking or storytelling events — vulnerability becomes strength.
Attend sober meetups, retreats, or wellness weekends.
Connect with sober influencers or online recovery communities on Instagram, Reddit, or Meetup.
Remember: Sobriety doesn’t shrink your life — it expands it. Every time you try something new without substances or problem behaviours, you prove to yourself that joy, laughter, and connection are fully possible (and often more memorable) in recovery.
Here are some strategies that can be helpful, particularly in early recovery.
Small steps toward purpose — volunteering, learning, reconnecting with hobbies — can restore the hope that addiction once dimmed. Our Calgary addiction counselling therapists want to remind you that health requires diversity. Addiction is a problem of finding one ‘solution’ for everything. Finding one other thing to try and meet all of your needs is not recovery, it is likely the continuation of addiction.
The Bottom Line From Addiction Counselling Calgary Therapists
Our Calgary addiction counselling therapists hope that you will find value and guidance in the above tools and suggestions. In addition to this, they also want to remind you that: Recovery is not linear. There will be good days, hard days, and everything in between. What matters most is that you keep showing up — with compassion, courage, and curiosity.
Wherever you are today, you will not be there forever. Everything shifts and evolves.
What feels new and overwhelming today will feel familiar to you with time and practice.
You deserve this and you’ve got this.
If you’re navigating recovery, you deserve support that meets you where you are.
📞 Need help?
In Canada, you can reach the Wellness Together Canada helpline at 1-866-585-0445 or visit wellnesstogether.ca
Join the Conversation
We’d love to hear your thoughts —
💬 What’s one small self-care practice that helps you stay grounded in recovery?
Email us at info@sanapsychological.com and share this post with someone who might need a reminder that healing is possible.
Sana Psychological is a small private practice in Calgary, AB supporting individuals, couples and families who are looking to improve their mental health and wellbeing. Our versatile team can help you wherever you are at. We also invite you to view our Free Resources to support you in your journey.
