How to Stay Sober Using Simple Tools That Actually Work

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How to Stay Sober One Quiet Moment at a Time

Kristine Koehn King, a full-time member of Alcoholics Anonymous in Waco, Texas, has been sober since March 14, 2012.

She recently published an adult coloring book series specifically designed for people in recovery, aimed at those quiet, difficult moments when staying sober feels hardest.

Her first book is called Thank God I Stayed: A Recovery Coloring Book for Alcoholics and Addicts Seeking Hope.

It was born from her own lived experience with alcohol addiction. “Recovery wasn’t loud and glamorous,” King has said. “It was quiet, messy, and painful. Sometimes, one day at a time. Sometimes one moment at a time.”

The books are designed not just for coloring, but for slowing down, quieting the mind, and simply breathing through difficult moments in alcohol recovery.

Proceeds go to King’s recovery ministry, Purpose Driven Sobriety, whose mission is to walk with people who feel spiritually sick, with truth and hope, not perfection or preaching.

Why Creative Tools Support Long-Term Sobriety

The appeal of coloring books in recovery is not accidental. The soothing, mindful act of coloring provides a therapeutic outlet for those in recovery, offering a moment of peace and reflection.

For people working the AA steps, mindfulness practices like these align naturally with the principles of Step Eleven, seeking through prayer and meditation to improve conscious contact and quiet the noise of cravings or resentment.

Recovery coloring books built around 12-step slogans, AA Big Book promises, and sobriety affirmations have grown into a genuine genre, giving people something purposeful to do with restless hands and a restless mind.

They are inexpensive, portable, and require zero screen time, a welcome contrast to the digital overstimulation many people in early sobriety experience.

Pairing Old-School Tools with the Sober App

Analog tools work best when they are part of a broader recovery system. That is where the Sober App comes in.

The Sober App lets you track your sobriety date, see your exact time sober down to the hour, log how much money you have saved since quitting alcohol, and access a supportive recovery community.

It pairs seamlessly with the kind of daily reflection that coloring books encourage, use one to mark the milestone, the other to sit with it.

Together, these tools build the recovery habit loop that long-term sobriety requires: awareness, pause, action, connection.

AA Meetings and Support Groups Remain the Foundation

No toolkit replaces community. Alcoholics Anonymous meetings offer peer accountability, the structure of the 12 steps, and the lived wisdom of others who have walked the same road.

Whether you attend in person or join a virtual AA meeting online, showing up consistently remains one of the most evidence-supported things a person can do to maintain sobriety.

If you are new to AA or returning after a relapse, meetings are free and available almost everywhere. Search Sober.com’s directory of AA meetings to find a location near you. You can also call 800-948-8417 Sponsored to get in touch with a treatment advisor today.

By Courtney Myers

By Eric Owens

Courtney Myers holds an MS in Technical Communication degree from NC State. She has more than 15 years of experience as a freelance writer and editor, specializing in addiction recovery and mental health-related topics.

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Eric Owens is a writer and editor with a bachelor degree in Philosophy, which has helped him with presenting complex information in a simple way that all audiences can understand. He specializes in the mental health and addiction recovery space. He’s also passionate about the environment and has extensive experience in creating content related to sustainability issues

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