Nourish your spirit, too, through personal reflection and connection with those you love. Find some quiet time each day for relaxation and meditation—if only for a few minutes, no matter how busy you are. On top of that, you can’t attend your home group meeting, and you haven’t heard from your sponsor in two days. Here are seven tried-and-true tips and strategies that will prepare you for the holidays, help you avoid relapse and protect you from any uncomfortable situations. Let family and friends know ahead of time that someone in recovery will be attending the holiday event.
Recognizing Holiday Triggers
Here are some tips and resources for preventing or responding to addiction relapse during the holiday season. 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. The better you feel physically, the stronger you will be emotionally.
Find Sober Activities
This helpline is answered by Legacy Healing Center, an addiction treatment provider with treatment facilities in California, Florida, Ohio, and New Jersey. If you’re looking for resources and tools to help you stay on track in your recovery during the holidays, AddictionResource.net has got you covered. Don’t worry about facing this holiday season in recovery alone. There are plenty of sober holiday traditions that you and your loved ones can create together to strengthen your recovery. This can be helpful in times of stress, where you may find yourself struggling to think clearly or rationally about how to cope with urges to drink alcohol or use drugs.
Stages of Addiction Recovery
It can reduce stress as well as improve mood, self-esteem, and happiness. Being able to have a clear mind and body to help others is a gift and one of the many benefits of staying clean and sober. With potential triggers and temptations, how can you maintain sobriety during the holidays? The following strategies and tips are commonly recommended among the recovery community to help. Everybody can get a little sad and shaky around the holidays. Even Elvis, the King of Rock ‘n Roll, sang about a “Blue Christmas.” It’s challenging for people struggling with substance use or in recovery to maintain steady ground at this time of year.
I’m In Recovery
Taking this even further, it can be helpful to let ourselves focus on all our senses. Take time to notice what you see, hear, feel on your skin, smell, and taste. Focusing on these experiences in the moment helps us to get centered and remember that we don’t have to react to everything around us. Remember, no matter the short-term disappointment, your long-term sobriety and recovery are more important to you and your loved ones than missing a few days of visiting this holiday season.
- Have a plan for the holiday, including mutual aid meetings and calls to those central to your recovery.
- Remember, overcoming every challenge is a step forward in your recovery journey.
- During the holiday season, it is a time for camaraderie and celebration – socializing, office parties, reconnecting, and overeating at dinner.
- Follow our top 8 tips for staying sober during the holidays with less stress and fewer complications.
Attend support group meetings, stay in touch with your sponsor, and connect with sober friends who understand your journey. An important part of spending the holidays sober is learning how to ask for help when you need it and knowing where to find support. Many sober people need extra support during the holiday season—you are not facing this struggle alone. If you find yourself in a dark place sometime in the next few weeks, there are many reframing holidays in early recovery different ways you can get help.
- Staying sober from drugs and alcohol during the holidays, for some, is only half the battle for staying grounded and secure in recovery.
- Holiday parties, festivities, added stress of family, or even the loneliness can be really hard to cope with alongside all of the distractions and themes of letting loose over the holidays.
- If you encounter setbacks, approach them as opportunities for growth and learning.
If you’d like more tips, check out our blogs for practical advice for the holiday period and beyond. Remember, overcoming every challenge is a step forward in your recovery journey. The holiday season can bring about stress and emotional upheaval. Equip yourself with healthy coping mechanisms, such as going to therapy, journaling, or engaging in physical activities. Practicing mindfulness can help you keep a level head throughout this intense time of the year and maintain focus on your recovery goals. With a landscape of festive gatherings and holiday cheer often intertwined with alcohol, it can be tempting to shut yourself away and distance yourself from friends and family at this time of year.
Tips and Strategies for Surviving the Holidays as a Newly Recovering Addict
One of these reasons likely includes becoming healthier for your family, friends and loved ones. While it can be difficult to be in treatment during the holidays, know that the hard work you’re doing now can bring you to a better future. The holiday season is upon us, and while it’s a time of joy and celebration, it can also bring unique challenges for those in recovery. Often, seasonal merriment can make it hard to escape triggers that test our commitment to sobriety.
Which Holidays Are Tough For People In Recovery?
- You do not have to brag or share your feelings with others if you do not want to, but an inward sense of accomplishment is very good protection against relapse.
- For someone in recovery, this pressure can feel overwhelming, leading to the desire to turn to substances to fit in or feel the expected holiday cheer.
- Our professional and friendly addiction specialists are able to answer your questions and get things moving in the right direction.
- Addiction relapse may be identifiable by physical signs of substance use, changes in behavior, or other cognitive or emotional symptoms of intoxication.
- They may prefer a substance-free environment, ask that people not drink in their presence, or request that you don’t invite someone who may cause them stress.
The festive season, with its merry celebrations and family gatherings, can be a challenging time for those in recovery. The combination of heightened emotions, social pressures, and the presence of alcohol or other substances can pose threats to one’s sobriety. Having a holiday relapse prevention plan is essential for anyone who wants to enjoy the festivities without risking their hard-won recovery. Here’s a guide to understanding holiday triggers and how to ensure addiction and the holidays don’t mix.
This can help manage stress without resorting to substance use. One of the best pieces of advice is to start your day with a ritual that grounds you in your recovery goals. Whether it’s meditation, exercise, or reading… a consistent morning routine can set a positive tone for the day.
