Preparing for the Holiday Season

The holidays can be a very difficult time, especially for those struggling with substances and who are in early recovery. Entering the holidays can bring on a lot of anxiety and fear around having to survive these events sober and having opportunities to still have a good time.

Truly, you do not need substances to enjoy the holiday season but you do need to be mentally and emotionally prepared.

1. Create a Safety Plan: 

Pre think out your holiday season and make yourself a safety or “relapse prevention” plan. Each day, review your plan to help you stay sober each day. You should rank different scenarios of risk from low to medium and high risk. Plan to stay in low-risk scenarios especially if you are new to your recovery. 

What can you do when you find yourself in a high-risk situation? 

Think ahead of time about what possible situations you might find yourself in, and what you would do in order to leave and stay safe. Have a plan for different scenarios and review you plan each day to help keep you in your comfort zone. You may need to avoid certain people, places, or plan to leave early from events that you are unsure about.  Take steps to ensure that you have an escape route, like having your car available, or someone reliable that you can call in case you need a quick exit.

2. Know Your Triggers: 

It’s important that you have taken the time to sit down and brainstorm your different triggers for relapse so that you are not caught off guard when you encounter a potentially triggering situation. This is essential in creating your safety plan, especially knowing what and who you need to avoid. Most people can relate to the common triggers in the acronym HALT, and know that when they are hungry, angry, lonely or tired is when they are more likely to fall prey to their bad habits. Make sure to take care of yourself and physically and mentally prepare to set yourself up for success. 

3. Set Boundaries with Your Family and Friends: 

Talk to your trusted family members and friends about your safety plan so they can help you stay accountable. If you have enough trust and respect with certain people you can let them know what your triggers are, how to look for signs that you are vulnerable to relapse, and have them help you take steps to process through them. .

4. Manage Your Stress Level: 

Within your holiday routine, incorporate activities that will help you de-stress, such as exercising, meditation, yoga, or just going out in nature. These activities will help bring you back into balance and better be able to handle the holiday stress that this time of year inevitably brings. If you feel yourself becoming overwhelmed in a situation, do what you need to do to remain calm, such as leaving the room to breathe, meditate, or call a friend. 

5. Bring the Party With You: 

When you’re going to a place that you are unsure of the beverages that will be served, take matters into your own hands. Pack food and drinks that you know you will enjoy. If you know people will be drinking champagne, bring some sparkling water or cider with you. Make sure you arrive with a full stomach to help keep your anxiety down and bring different treats with you that you can get excited about, and that will help you avoid feeling disappointed that you cannot partake in others’ festivities.

The best path forward is the one where you set healthy boundaries for yourself and with family members to help you stay sober and safe this holiday season. Make sure you plan ahead and remind yourself that “this too shall pass” when you start to feel overwhelmed. 

Make sure to seek out fun activities and moments of joy over the holidays that are risk-free to help keep you centered. Don’t underestimate the power of fun and joy in your recovery journey. Surround yourself with people that make you feel loved, and you should be able to find success, even in the midst of a busy holiday season.

What do you have planned this holiday season that you are looking forward to? Who can you trust to keep you accountable? Have you talked to them about what you need from them to continue to pursue health and sobriety?