One of the ways that you can be prepared for your upcoming celebrations is to go to a meeting, especially if you are traveling during the holidays. Not only will a meeting boost your morale, but it will also allow you to properly deal with those urges and cravings. Start https://ecosoberhouse.com/ planning your strategy now, with these #soberholidays tips from The Recovery Book and the workbook companion My Life in Recovery. Remember, the disease of addiction is as powerful the day after a holiday as it is the day of and the day before. As we learn during addiction rehab and in the meeting rooms, recovery is a one-day-at-a-time endeavor, no matter the season.

How To Celebrate The Holidays While Staying Sober

• There’s more laughter and healing tears in our home now.
• Find some quiet time each day for relaxation and meditation—if only for a few minutes, no matter how busy you are.
• If you’ve been misusing alcohol or drugs for a while, your brain may need several months or even longer to set itself right.
• It may surprise you how fun the holidays can be once you remove some of the stressors.

As the years in recovery increase, you will be able to gain a sense of being able to enjoy the festivities without having to worry about the chances of a relapse. Celebrate the holiday season and the fullness of your sober life by taking time for yourself. Proper nutrition, gentle exercise and restorative sleep can do wonders for your well-being.

Develop an escape plan:

New traditions can be created if old ones are no longer healthy or end up being too stressful. If this is your first sober holiday season, please know that it gets better. Laura got sober in the month of December, just 16 days before Christmas. (Why she didn’t wait till January 1st like everyone else is another story.) Her first sober Christmas was extremely difficult and anything but fun. There was alcohol everywhere, her mother was offering her cocktails, her anxiety was on fire, and she just wanted to go home.

National Recovery + Wellness Month

• In that time, Julie’s brother-in-law, who always arrives under the influence of drugs, drinks too much and starts arguments.
• When done properly, anxiety diminishes, the focus of our thinking changes, and best of all, we can look at the life we’ve been given in a way that recognizes its worth.
• Try these 12 tactics for staying in recovery during the 12 days of Christmas.
• Make this your most important focus over the holidays and everything else will work out just fine.

See for yourself why millions of couples worldwide have benefited from the Gottman Method. The Adviser uses the legendary scientific Gottman Method to help you understand what’s really going on in your relationship—and gives you exactly what you need to improve it. This underlines the importance of having a plan to maintain sobriety.

Holiday Season Addiction & Mental Health Statistics

While I can’t speak for everyone, ever since my husband decided to give up alcohol alongside me, our relationship has only gotten stronger. We helped our children through the uncertainty and loss of the pandemic with vulnerable conversations and “natural highs,” such as daily walks in nature, family games, and movie nights. There’s more laughter and healing tears in our home now. We’ve supported each other in taking risks and investing in our career dreams.

“Honestly, Workit Health is the best choice I’ve ever made.”

After all, the holidays can kick off a perfect storm of family and money stress. Don’t discount the impact this storm can have. If you feel scared or unsafe in your own home, reach out for help. Take an honest look at upcoming holiday events and whether it’s healthy to attend. If you feel uncomfortable about a family dinner, that’s enough.

Expectations demand; while anticipation waits in wonder. During the holiday season, remember to regularly take stock of what unmet expectations could be robbing you of your holiday joy. Accepting life on life’s terms requires living sober holidays with the loose grip of anticipation rather than the tight fist of expectation. B. Breath – Taking deep breaths also helps us remember that we are o.k.

Stay connected to other recovery folks

Do not take it too hard if an accidental drink happens, it can be chalked up to a learning experience. The holidays can be a challenging time of year for people in recovery. With the right plan and headspace, you can have an enjoyable holiday season. Know you are not alone and there are millions of people in your corner, including us here at The Wagon. Having an individual who is sober and willing to hold you accountable is vital for your recovery efforts.

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• Enter your phone number below to receive a free and confidential call from a treatment provider.
• One newly recovering alcoholic wrote AA slogans on index cards and kept them in her purse.
• Call a local treatment center like Into Action Recovery Centers or a local crisis line.
• Make this holiday the last unsafe holiday for you and your family.
• Celebrate the holiday season and the fullness of your sober life by taking time for yourself.

If you’ve been misusing alcohol or drugs for a while, your brain may need several months or even longer to set itself right. Give yourself time to build a happy new life. One thing that is very, very helpful, especially when you are newly sober is to have a well-thought-out plan for whatever event may be stressing you out. For example, let’s say you’ve been invited to a party and you know there will be a lot of drinking there and people who will potentially give you a hard time about not drinking. Let’s say that in past years you’ve made a fool of yourself at this particular party. Holiday gatherings with family and even friends can be trying.

Outside Resources for a sober holiday season

These are the things that our shame and addiction tell us and keep us from getting the support we need to stay sober. Just remember, in our addiction we often didn’t care who we bothered or what day it was. Be willing to go to any lengths for your sobriety so you don’t have to go back to your addiction. With so many parties and celebrations, the holidays can be a particularly difficult time of year for those trying to stay sober. Temptation may be high, but you can always take preventative measures to make sober holidays even more enjoyable than they would’ve been had you never gotten clean. The key is to plan to stay sober before the festivities start, and make sure you have the support of friends and family around you.