Tip 1: It’s Okay to Be Alone

Are you afraid to cut yourself off from parties and other circumstances where there are plenty of people, but also plenty of temptations to drink again, to smoke again, to overeat? Were your addictions keeping you company? When I drank, I never liked to drink alone.

When I quit my addictions to cigarettes, booze and bad food, I had to avoid the people and places where I might be tempted to return to my old addictions. This is what I learned: It’s okay to be alone. Replace your relationship with booze, alcohol, drugs or too much food with a healthier relationship with … yourself! Take long walks every day along a different route to enjoy nature.

Discover wonderful new people through reading. Pamper yourself. Prepare delicious, healthy meals just for you. Vow to discover something new each week. Rediscover your faith in God, your faith in yourself. I like my new relationship with myself. You will, too!

Linda Joy Allan is the author of “I Quit! Cigarettes, Candy Bars and Booze.”