Staying Sober During Holidays and Celebrations

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The holidays can be a fun and exciting time for many people. For those who are newly sober and clean after time spent in rehab in Austin, you can feel confident still having fun during these days of the year. Still, protecting yourself against relapse is important when emotions, excitement, alcohol, and drugs can flow more readily.

 

Make a Plan:

Arrive early and leave early. Always drive yourself to any events, so you can control your own destiny. You may want to bring along a supportive friend to help you pay attention to any triggers.

Make Self Care a Priority:

You should celebrate holidays by caring for your mind, soul, and body. You aren’t able to be your best self when you are feeling depleted. Take some time for yourself with a yoga class, time for mediation, or acupuncture. Some physical movement and the right nutrition can also help you feel emotionally and physically stronger.

Increase Support:

During the holidays, it’s important to have someone for support. You may need to book-end a holiday event with a phone call to someone in your recovery bubble. If you are traveling to another city, try to develop a plan to attend meetings there or use phone calls to stay connected.

Know Your Limits:

Certain family members can make it harder to enjoy the holidays. You may even have strained family relationships. This type of stress can lead to using. Instead of spending time with these relatives that will criticize your every move, surround yourself with more supportive people who will help you follow your steps to maintain sobriety.

Have Props Ready:

If you arrive at an event, get a non-alcoholic beverage right away and keep it in your hand. Most people won’t ever pay attention or notice what’s in the cup as long as you hold one.

Work on Relationships:

This can be when you can rekindle old relationships or make new ones. Instead,ese times are all about using, making it about people, building relationships, and establishing real connections.

Pay Attention to Nutrition:

While indulging a little during holidays can be okay, you don’t want to eat too many fatty, sugar-filled foods because they can make you feel worse. Be proactive and choose healthy foods that won’t make you feel guilty but still allow you to celebrate.

Serve Others:

When you focus on others, you may find more gratitude and joy. Think about different ways that you can serve others during these times. For example, you could make a family recipe and deliver food to friends. You can spend time with an elderly neighbor who is housebound or donate time at a food pantry. There are plenty of opportunities to spread cheer to others, and you have the benefit of staying sober simultaneously.

Create New Traditions:

Giving can be one of the best things you can do during this time. Giving can be one of the best things you can do during this time. Now is the perfect time to come up with new traditions. This could mean hosting your own gathering with other friends in your situation.

Avoid Triggers:

Some of the most significant triggers are emotional ones. Holidays can be some of the most stressful times. Normal routines get disrupted, and people get anxious and frustrated. There can also be increased demands that lead to feelings of humiliation, guilt, shame, and more. Holidays don’t have to be perfect; you should only say yes when it won’t jeopardize your sobriety. Saying no is acceptable and may be needed.

Staying sober during holidays can be challenging but possible after rehab with some mindfulness tips.

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