The holiday season is nearly upon us. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, as you’ve heard it said countless times. Some are no doubt ready to fully embrace the holiday spirit and get in on all the office parties, family gatherings, and festive revelry. But for those spending the holidays in recovery, this season may bring worry, uncertainty, and even dread.
With that said, if you’re spending the holidays in recovery, know that it’s possible to enjoy them like everyone else without sacrificing your sobriety goals. Crafting a holiday recovery plan ahead of time can prepare you to navigate the highs and lows of Thanksgiving and Christmas in a healthy, productive way. Let’s discuss how you can face the season’s greetings well in the coming weeks.
The Holidays in Recovery: Challenges You May Encounter
Before you come up with your holiday recovery plan, you need to anticipate the road ahead. The holidays are in fact hard for many in recovery, but why? Here are a few challenges that make recovery during the holidays tough:
- The temptation to take a break: As others wind down for the year and take days off, you may be tempted to take a break from your recovery goals. Doing so, however, can easily lead to drug or alcohol relapse.
- Triggering scenarios: You may receive invitations to typical holiday parties and celebrations this time of the year, which could put you around people who are drinking or using substances.
- Extra stress: Many people find that the holidays bring as much stress as they do joy, shares Johns Hopkins Medicine. Stress, one of the most common addiction triggers, can drive you to seek addictive habits to cope.
- Harmful influences: The holidays bring you closer to relatives, old friends, and acquaintances who may not know about (or ignore) your recovery goals. Such people may use in front of you, or even try to influence you to use with them.
- Difficult emotions: This time of the year can generate painful reminders about unmet hopes, desires, and longings. You may also struggle with loneliness or more easily recall the loss of a loved one.
5 Steps to Enjoy the Holidays in Recovery This Season
Sure, the above challenges may make you nervous about the oncoming holidays. But going into the season prepared to face them will help you feel more confident and less uncertain about what you need to do to keep your recovery on track. With that said, here are a few preparations you can make now to enjoy the holidays in recovery:
1. Come Up With Your Holiday Recovery Plan
Your first step is to create a specific plan for continuing your recovery momentum during the holidays. Consider talking with your therapist, meeting with your support group, or revisiting your treatment center’s rehab aftercare programming for advice on what to put in your holiday recovery plan. Plus, they’ll be able to point out anything you may have missed. A few components of your plan may include:
- An inventory of your known addiction triggers
- A list of people or places you’ll likely encounter said triggers during the holidays
- A strategy for keeping addiction triggers at bay
- A list of healthy coping strategies and self-soothing techniques you want to prioritize
- Ways to continue recovery practices and self-care in the midst of travel and a busier schedule
2. Establish Boundaries
Triggering situations may abound this holiday season, from heavily drinking relatives, neighborhood Christmas parties, or even being bored at your parent’s house. Setting healthy boundaries around these vulnerable situations (and communicating these boundaries with your family and friends in advance) is key. Boundaries may mean saying no to someone, being the occasional humbug, or leaving a party early, but they preserve your recovery in the long run.
3. Keep Up With Your Support Network
It’s important to still stay connected with your support network during the holidays. Reach out to a friend or accountability partner about being your go-to person to call upon when you face struggles during the holidays. Consider sharing your holiday recovery plan with supportive family members. You may even look into local or virtual support groups you can visit if you’re traveling for the holidays.
4. Prioritize Self-Care
Spending the holidays in recovery is not the time to drop your routine or overindulge like others around you. Sure, you can get in on many of the seasonal festivities, but just make sure your self-care remains a priority. This includes exercise, rest, a healthy diet, and good sleep. There’s plenty of room to still keep your sobriety goals intact and enjoy the holidays at the same time.
5. Make Time for Gratitude and Giving Back
Don’t forget what the holidays are all about. Make it a point to pursue activities and people that bring you joy. You may want to volunteer in a few ways this season so you can give back. And in quieter moments between festivities, reflect upon the good things in your life. Soon you’ll realize with gratitude how much progress you’ve made in your recovery. And this gives you hope for the days ahead.
Navigating the Holidays in Recovery? We’re Here for You
If you’re pursuing recovery during the holidays, remember that professional help is always available to you. At Sana at Stowe, our addiction recovery services are meant to provide ongoing support for your long-term recovery. For further support — and to learn more about our treatment options — give us a call today.
