Starting a Life After Addiction? Here Are 4 Ways to Support Yourself While Building Your Career

Sobriety Offers a New Life

One of the first steps in reclaiming your life from addiction is to start building (or rebuilding) your career. There’s nothing easy about getting your career up and going. However, if you’ve chosen recovery and are living it out each day, you’re already doing the hardest part. While looking for that first opportunity to join the professional workforce, you’ll need to make ends meet.

But First, Stay Sober

No matter what side gig you choose to pursue while you’re building your career, maintaining your sobriety comes first. Not only will staying sober keep you on track for your overarching goal of recovery, but it will help you excel at your work. Keep yourself surrounded by support and healthy relationships, and be sure to make time for hobbies and relaxation.

Whether you’re working from home or at a business establishment, it’s critical that you do whatever is necessary to keep your stress levels down. It’s common knowledge that acute stress can be a trigger for relapse, so it’s essential that you can apply the coping skills you’ve learned to whatever work environment you find yourself in — now and in the future. That way, you can stay strong and sober as you build your life.

Now That You’re Sober – Teach Lessons

If you’re an artist or musician, teaching lessons could be the best all-around side hustle because you get paid to work in a field you love. Walking someone through a process from start to finish, whether it’s a drawing, painting, or song, is thoroughly rewarding. Sometimes it will require patience, but the satisfaction of seeing someone succeed makes it well worth it. Also, teaching allows you to stay sharp in your own skills and learn new things from time to time. Whether you teach art or music in person or do online lessons from your home, you can typically make your own hours and choose your own rate. Just start getting your name out there by creating an online presence and posting bulletins around town.

Sell Stuff

Another way to make money is by selling items online. Ebay, Etsy, and Amazon are good platforms that make the process pretty simple. If you have a knack for creating things like art, photography, jewelry, clothing, toys, or soaps, you can make your hobby a full-on e-commerce business. Even if you don’t craft things, you can sell books, movies, video games, sports equipment, tools, or almost anything else you can think of. You could also declutter your home by selling stuff you no longer need (i.e. that old guitar you haven’t played since the fifth grade, furniture, electronics, etc.). Moreover, many people minimize their home as a way to make their lives more focused and less stressful. 

Walk Dogs

For those who like dogs, becoming a dog walker is an awesome side gig. You get to hang out with a variety of canines that become your buddies, you’re guaranteed to get outdoor exercise a couple times a day, you get to help out caring pet owners, and you can typically make between $16 and $24 an hour. To get started, you can self-advertise around town or join an established pet-sitting business. The most important quality in a dog walker is reliability, so plan to show up and do a great job every day.

If you’re fulfilling the steps of recovery in your life, you definitely have what it takes to build a career. Just be patient and stay motivated through the journey. Do your research and mull over the slew of side jobs you can do to bring some money in (i.e. teaching lessons, selling stuff, dog walking, etc.). Above all else, remember to stay sober. You’ve got this.