If you’re in addiction recovery, you probably have a keen awareness of the uptick in alcohol use during the holidays. It can seem as if every party or celebration on your radar puts an emphasis on drinking. The presence of so much alcohol has the potential to challenge your commitment to sobriety. Fortunately, you can avoid this kind of situation by taking advantage of your available sober support resources. Such resources often include helpful hints on how to enjoy a sober holiday season.
The Connection Between Drinking Urges and the Holidays
During most of the year, you may do an excellent job keeping up your everyday sobriety routines. But when Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s roll around, you might find this much harder to do. Why? The holidays come with multiple factors that can help make your drinking urges stronger. Such factors include:
- Social traditions that tie together alcohol use and holiday celebrations
- Fear of being isolated or missing out on the holiday fun
- The heightened stress levels that affect most people this time of year
On their own, any one of these concerns can boost your odds of wanting to drink. They can potentially have an even greater impact if they overlap.
The Importance of Consciously Preparing for a Sober Holiday Season
It takes time and commitment to recover from alcohol addiction and create a sober lifestyle. That’s true even if you only have mild or moderate addiction symptoms. This means that you have a lot riding on your ability to safeguard your sobriety.
Holiday plans centered around staying sober are essential to making this goal a reality. Effective planning:
- Gives you a roadmap to follow as you navigate the challenges of the season.
- Allows you to prepare in advance for foreseeable sobriety obstacles
- Helps you spot and avoid any unforeseen risks to your abstinence
The end result is typically a less stressful, more enjoyable holiday experience.
Top Tips for a Sober Holiday
Addiction specialists are well-aware of the effort it takes to stay sober at holiday time. In response, they’ve developed a wide range of strategies to support successful abstinence. Some of the top tips for having a sober holiday include:
- Attending an alcohol-free celebration hosted by friends or relatives
- Planning your own sober celebrations
- Turning to a sponsor or friend for support and advice
Each of these strategies comes with its own key benefits. By attending someone else’s sober celebration, you can continue to enjoy the season to its fullest. The same holds true if you’d prefer to take control and hold your own event.
The value of turning to a friend or sobriety sponsor is hard to overestimate. In moments of crisis, you’ll have access to a trusted ally. That can make all the difference in helping you maintain your alcohol-free commitments. Even if you just want to talk or check-in, it helps to know that a welcoming presence awaits you. It also helps to know that your friend or sponsor will expect you to be accountable for your actions.
Get More Advice on Enjoying a Sober Holiday at Evoke Wellness
Want to know more about creating an effective sober holiday plan? Contact the alcohol recovery specialists at Evoke Wellness. We have plenty of tips to help you keep your sobriety goals while still having fun during the holidays.
Are your drinking urges getting the better of you as the season approaches? Evoke Wellness features multiple treatment resources that can strengthen your sobriety efforts. For more information, call us today at 866.931.6429. You can also seek help through our online message form. We’re standing by with customized, caring support.
