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Use stress relief techniques so that you can enjoy your holiday with a clear, calm mind. Try meditation, journaling, walks, yoga, mind games , or use your smartphone to listen to calming meditations or podcasts.
- While working in New York City, gained funding Grants for the treatment of Substance Abuse Disorders from SAMHSA , HRSA and the City of New York.
- Attend more 12-step meetings right now to keep yourself grounded.
- Skip any drinking occasion you are nervous about.
- If a drinking urge or panic comes-postpone everything else until you’ve called an A.A.
- Many relapse triggers during the holidays are emotional triggers.
When you take the opportunity to connect with others—to see, value, and honor their experience—you exercise empathy. You exist outside of yourself, and you begin to notice all the blessings your life already contains. And it doesn’t get more human, or more recovery, than that. Call now to be connected with one of our friendly, helpful Admissions Advisors Today. Contact us at Transformations Treatment Center today and we’ll help guide you along this important journey. Don’t succumb to temptation – because “I’ll just drink for one night” is typically the beginning of a long relapse.
It is important not to feel so alone while everyone else is indulging in adult beverages. Should you feel tempted, a sober buddy can be there to give you some level-headed support. Here are some sober holiday tips to help you get through the season with your sobriety intact. Having a solid support system during the addiction recovery process is imperative.
Nov 8 Tips To Staying Sober
Ideally, the holidays should be a time to rest and reflect, to catch up with family, and eat homemade pie while watching football. However, for many people, the holidays are a time of financial stress and family arguments. This kind of stress and emotional turmoil can trigger cravings and be a generally challenging time for anyone recovering from addiction. Making matters worse, alcohol is a common feature of holiday parties, office parties, and family gatherings, presenting temptation and opportunity for relapse.
I wasn’t even particularly embarrassed by the chaos. And the truth is, in those days I was feeling a quiet desperation – wishing everyone would leave so I could drink more. If possible, invite a sober friend to any celebrations you attend. They can offer support and make you feel less alone. Knowing your limits especially around busy periods like Christmas is important. Tackling your ‘to-do list’ can become even harder and people may ask more of you during this season; whether it’s shopping, decorating, or cooking.
If this is your first holiday season sober, the other members can offer some helpful tips. For them, the holidays bring up memories of getting drunk, staying up late, or making a spectacle at family events from over-indulging. Staying sober during the holidays is a challenge. If you’re in 8 tips on ow to spend holidays sober recovery from alcohol addiction, you have a lot to be thankful for. While it’s important to acknowledge your anxiety around the holidays, you should also consider how far you’ve come. If you want to stay sober during the holidays, look for opportunities to be of service and volunteer.
Ways To Navigate Thanksgiving Sober
Asking a close friend or loved one to join you on a sober Christmas can provide great support and motivation. Having someone in your corner who can give you a mental high five every time you both refuse an alcoholic beverage can give you the confidence you need during this time of year.
Reach out to Acqua Recovery today to start your new life. For more information on getting help sooner rather than later, click here. Isolation can be triggering on its own, but add in the restrictions of the pandemic and you’ve got a risk of relapse. Get into the altruistic spirit of the holidays and sobriety by giving back to the community. Food pantries and homeless shelters need help now more than ever, and you’ll help build your self esteem while you’re at it. One easy way to give yourself an exit when situations, crowds, or environments become uncomfortable is by bringing your own vehicle or planning to use a ride share service. This way, you won’t be stuck in a space where you’re surrounded by high-risk activities and where your recovery is constantly being challenged.
While your sobriety and recovery are certainly not things of which you should be ashamed, we’re all a little more comfortable when we’re not drawing attention to ourselves. Bring some seltzer and juice or even your favorite soda to, pardon the expression, blend in. If you are going to a holiday gathering, go prepared with a plan of action if you begin to feel overwhelmed or tempted. Have a plan for what you will say when offered an alcoholic beverage and how you will handle individuals who may encourage you to have “just one”. If you go to any holiday parties, someone is likely to offer you a drink. You might say, “No thank you, I’m driving,” or “I have an early day tomorrow.” However, you don’t owe anyone an explanation for why you’re not drinking. This is the best way you can spend your holidays.
Addiction
Write a list of your known triggers, and prepare ways to handle them. This is not just our slogan at Riverside Recovery. The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. Keep in mind that this elevator speech doesn’t need to be the same for everyone.
This may seem silly, but it’s very easy in a party atmosphere to accidentally pick up someone else’s drink, which may be alcoholic. Order your own non-alcoholic drinks, watch how they’re made, and keep track of them. Holidays are Addiction often a time of nostalgia, and it is easy to get lost in the days gone by. But, as a newly sober individual, you cannot let yourself get pulled into this daydreaming. Instead, it is important that you stay in the present moment.
Have A Strategy For Parties
It might seem too simple, but saying “No” is something you should learn how to do without feeling guilty. You are allowed to say no to people and to decline their offers and invitations. There will be many parties that you get invited to, and some will be more heavily influenced by alcohol than others. There might be times where there are multiple invitations on the table for you to choose from. People are going to offer you drinks and may try to peer pressure you into having “just one drink,” or “just one sip.” It’s a celebration, after all.
Begin your healing today and speak with one of our caring admissions counselors, Matt, Brian, or Ashlee. They can provide you with more tips for staying sober during the holidays and ways you can afford a residential addiction treatment program. Reach out to us today and spend your holidays in a sanctuary of hope. Make it a goal during the holiday season to check in virtually with a clean and sober friend, a colleague, or a family member every day. Most addiction support groups now have virtual meetings you can attend, too! Staying connected decreases the risk of relapse during the holidays. Your sobriety and recovery journey are the most important things to focus on during the holiday season.
When you allow your sobriety to guide your choices, you’ll end up making smarter decisions. By now, you already know what will happen if you fall back into using drugs and alcohol. Express gratitude toward yourself and the people who’ve supported your recovery.
Take Time To Check In With Yourself
Of those who seek treatment, many will fail because they attempt to fight this monster on their own. This can be especially detrimental if your goal is staying sober during the holidays.
Family expectations, holiday parties, memories…all of these can be stressors and therefore triggers that make us think about drinking or using again. The holiday season can really test our wills, but we can keep our heads about us during this time of year and not reset the clock on our hard-earned sobriety. Even if you are not someone who is keeping sober, these tips can help you get through the season without overdoing it. It may be overwhelming to be with your family or at holiday parties, even if you have a sober buddy or sponsor with you. This is especially true if it’s your first holiday being sober.
Avoidance is definitely a good way to limit your encounters with people, places, and things that trigger an urge to use. However, it’s also important to review your new and healthier coping skills and put them to use. These can include deep breathing, mindfulness, and quiet meditation among other things. If you’re battling alcohol addiction or your drinking triggers other behaviors, bringing your own beverage is a great method for staying sober. After all, throwing back a glass of sparkling water when the ball drops – instead of champagne – will look just as fancy. Seeing certain family members, discussing certain events, or being spoken to in a specific way could all be triggers that cause you to crave substances. Find ways to prepare healthy coping mechanisms so that you can truly enjoy the holiday without having to worry about your sobriety.
Identify And Avoid Triggers
Spend time volunteering at local charities, food banks, and soup kitchens, or see if your local recovery group could use extra help during the holiday season. Remember the holidays are about people, and taking the opportunity to connect with them can allow you to notice all the blessings in your life. Schedule time for attending 12-step or other support meetings before or after holiday events. If you meet with a therapist, set up a time to get together before your events or after them.