Activities like walking, cycling, or attending fitness classes can provide a healthy outlet for stress and also keep you engaged and focused on your health. We wish you all a happy, safe and healthy holiday season. Being prepared for the holiday events this month can bolster your sense of self-efficacy during the recovery process and help you begin the process of re-learning to trust yourself.
- Having a sponsor or sober friend offers ongoing encouragement, and utilizing online resources or recovery literature such as The Recovery Book supports continuous commitment to sobriety.
- He is also a committee member of the organizations Bonei Olam and Chai Lifeline Mid-Atlantic.
- As someone who’s navigated the challenges of sobriety for many years, I understand the complexities that the holiday season can bring.
- Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.Anyone who needs help knowing what first step to take in pursuing help can find guidance at FindSupport.gov.
- We wish you all a happy, safe and healthy holiday season.
Keep a (non-alcoholic) drink in your hand
Whether you’re newly sober or just starting to question your relationship with alcohol or drugs, these tips are designed to help you stay grounded, supported, and strong. Coping with holiday stress can feel like a minefield when you’re trying to stay sober. Between work deadlines, family pressure and parties seemingly focused on alcohol, it’s easy to feel like you’re the only one struggling. This is a good time to re-familiarize yourself with your favorite urge-busting tools.
What are some alternative sober-friendly activities I can engage in during the holidays?
His mission is to help others have access to the life-changing and life-saving tools of recovery that he uses every day – even after 28 years in sobriety. Because currently only 4% of people in America who need addiction recovery support get it. Prior sober holidays to getting sober, some of us often kept a drink in hand at all times. So in sobriety, always having a drink in hand can provide a sense of comfort — particularly early on in recovery. If you have a preferred non-alcoholic drink, bring it with you and keep one in your hand. If you find that you are drinking non-alcoholic drinks quickly, that’s okay, too.
Observe Cravings Without Acting on Them
Contact Abhaya Wellness today to discover how our clinically-driven, mindfulness-inspired approach can help you create a fulfilling sober holiday experience. We accept many major insurances and welcome the opportunity to support your continued wellness. You deserve to experience the season with confidence and peace of mind. Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) provides an additional layer of protection against relapse during high-risk periods.
- From old memories, family dynamics and the pressure to be constantly cheerful, it’s normal for holiday expectations to feel like an all-too-heavy weight.
- Sometimes, people cope with anxiety by chugging seltzers.
- In the end, the humility you gain will only strengthen your recovery.
- Try journaling, meditation or even a short walk to help improve and maintain your mental wellness.
There will be some situations where casual, responsible drinking is taking place. In these https://sensenaturals.in/goodbye-letter-to-addiction-worksheets/ situations, where you may be asked if you want a drink, we suggest that you set firm boundaries from the start. “No thank you, I do not drink”, or “I am not a drinker, but I am having a good time” could be beneficial. Our free email newsletter offers guidance from top addiction specialists, inspiring sobriety stories, and practical recovery tips. Holidays bring a mix of joy and stress, often intensified for those in recovery.
He Gave Up Alcohol for Me, I Gave Up Meat for Him
This will help you stay connected and accountable to your recovery goals, even when you’re away from home. Online recovery heroin addiction platforms and virtual meetings have dramatically expanded access, meaning support is available regardless of your location or schedule. These digital resources prove especially valuable during holiday travel when your regular meeting schedule gets disrupted. Recovery literature serves as portable support when meetings aren’t accessible. Keeping The Big Book, The Recovery Book, or daily meditation readings nearby offers grounding wisdom during stressful moments.
Make an Escape Plan
You have the right to decline invitations to events where heavy drinking will occur, leave gatherings early when you feel uncomfortable, or request that certain topics remain off-limits. Communicating these needs clearly—though it may feel difficult—protects your recovery and models healthy behavior. However,these tips for surviving the holidays sober can help you stay calm and keep ontrack. For people in recovery, the holidays can be a hard time.
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