How to Make any Holiday a Sober Celebration

Sober celebration may have been impossible and even laughable to you in the past, when you were in active addiction. But now that you’re in recovery, you have to see the many perks of having a sober celebration during the holidays.

Holidays and traditions are inevitable. Where once you use it to get away from family and get high, or get intoxicated, the bottom line is, these events can make or break your recovery now.

Now that you’re in recovery, holidays and family gatherings are never the same. You have to be mindful of yourself and your commitment to sobriety and push for a sober celebration whenever you can. Perhaps these holidays can wreak havoc on your resolve, but that doesn’t mean you have to give in to the pressure or the temptation to “try” which can lead to relapse.

Here are some tips on how you can make any holiday a sober celebration–and still have fun and make the moment meaningful.

How to Make any Holiday a Sober Celebration

1. Self-care comes first. Holidays can be stressful. From the preparations to the event and even afterwards, it can be physically and emotionally draining. However, you shouldn’t forget your needs and your sobriety. You have to be in your best health and mindset, so be sure not to stretch yourself too thin.

2. Avoid emotional landmines. Having family and friends over means you have to be face to face with people whom you may have hurt in the past. There may be uncomfortable situations or emotional pitfalls, but that doesn’t mean you have to give in to every invitation to argument or drama.

3. You have a choice of which traditions to keep. While celebrations may always come with alcohol, and even drugs, in the past, that doesn’t mean it has to be that way now and always. Ditch the negative traditions and replace it with something fresh and positive, like having a sober celebration that replaces alcohol with fun activities that will really connect you all with each other.

4. Invite supportive friends over. You may have lost some friends you had when you were in active addiction. But now that you’re in recovery, you may have built friendships with your peers who are your best support system now. Have them over on your celebration or celebrate the holidays together somewhere else. This will make sober celebration more fun.

5. Have at least one sober pal with you. If that’s not possible, then at least be in touch with one. It helps to hear from someone who can help put things into perspective for you, especially when you get the holiday jitters or are in the middle of some family get-together drama.

6. Be grateful. It’s easy to get sidetracked by all the happenings and the not-happenings during the holidays. Things can get pretty hyped up and dramatic. It helps to remember what the holiday is about and be grateful to still have those people around you. Better yet, make a list of the things you are grateful for. This can help you have a more positive experience during any holiday season and truly have a sober celebration.