Strategies for Navigating Holiday Highs and Lows

For many people, the holiday season conjures mental images of warm family dinners, holiday parties, gift exchanges and crackling fires. However, for others, this time of year can bring sadness, loneliness, tense family dynamics, financial strain and a form of depression called seasonal affective disorder.

If you struggle with emotional ups and downs during the holidays, you are not alone. In one survey of 1,000 people, nearly half of them said they would prefer to skip Christmas altogether to avoid the finance-related stress the holiday creates. That eye-opening number shows how ill-prepared we often are to cope with the unique stressors of this time of year.

Stress is a significant relapse trigger for many people. However, your time in recovery has provided you with all the skills you need to protect your sobriety – you just need to know when and how to use them. Here are our top strategies for making it through this holiday season with your sobriety intact.

1. Remember You Aren’t Alone

Because addiction can have long-lasting effects, going through a recovery program does not “cure” you of your disease. Instead, it teaches you to manage the symptoms. However, learning how to balance your emotions and make good decisions is an ongoing process.

When you were in active addiction, you may have developed a habit of secrecy and isolation, but now that you’re working on your sobriety, you must learn how to come out of your shell and share your feelings with people you trust – especially when you’re feeling down. If you’re struggling, you don’t have to do so in silence. Others can offer valuable advice to help pull you out of a rut.

2. Don't Take Time off From Your Recovery Routine

Though holidays may be special occasions where you get to prepare your favorite foods, spend more time with loved ones and maybe enjoy a few days off work, you still need to engage in your recovery routine just like you would on any other day. Even though the holiday season can feel different, you can’t skip the things you consistently do to stay on track and maintain your emotional well-being, such as journaling, meditating, exercising, sleeping well and going to therapy.

3. Learn to Leave Your Past Behind

The holidays might bring back repressed memories of how you behaved when you were in the grip of your addiction. For example, maybe you drank too much at Christmas dinner one year and started an argument with your grandfather about your opposing political beliefs. Though you can use your past to reflect on the many good reasons you chose to pursue sobriety, it isn’t productive to dwell on embarrassing things you did or said.

Sobriety is an opportunity to make new memories and forge new traditions during the holidays. It’s also a time to recognize that you are working to be a better person, and that your past does not define you. Embrace the holiday season as a present you have given yourself.

The Greatest Gift Is Your Sobriety

This holiday, put yourself and your needs first. You decided to walk the path of sobriety, and while it is not always a smooth or straight one, there are countless rewards along the way. Don’t let stress get the better of you during this emotionally challenging time of year. You know what’s best for you, so now, all you need to do is act on it.

If you’re seeking a holistic route to recovery outside the traditional 12-step approach, Complete Harmony can help show you the way. To discover the benefits of our healing center, contact us today.

Tips for Getting Through the Holidays Sober

The holidays can be extremely challenging for anyone trying to recover from alcohol or drug addiction. “Instead of the '12 Days of Christmas,' it was more like the '12 Days of Relapse Temptations,' wrote one blogger about her first sober holiday. 

So how do you get through the holidays sober? Here are a few tips that have worked for others in recovery. Take a look and see if they’ll work for you, too:  

• Identify your personal triggers. Recognizing and planning for triggers is a crucial part of relapse prevention. Do certain people, places, movies or songs stir memories of the times you were using? Make a list and share it with family and sober friends and/or your addiction counselor. Together, you can figure out how to avoid and/or manage these culprits. 
• Ask for help. Isolating yourself is perhaps the worst thing you can do this holiday season. Instead, reach out to loved ones and recovery peers to help you through the season. Attend support groups (online or in-person) and/or organize sober get-togethers with those closest to you. By surrounding yourself with those who support your recovery efforts, you are putting yourself in a position to succeed.
• Lend a hand. For many folks in recovery, helping out those less fortunate is a win-win during the holidays. You’ll make a positive impact in someone else’s life and be reminded of how far you’ve come and how thankful you should be. Some ideas: Volunteer at a local homeless shelter, wrap gifts at a nearby hospital or support someone else who is trying to recover from addiction.
• Flex your “no” muscle. It’s okay (and necessary) to turn down invitations to festivities that could trigger relapse. And, if the host is truly a friend, he or she will fully understand and support your commitment to your recovery. 
• Get moving. Exercising during recovery is a great way to reduce stress and build-up your self-esteem so you’re calm and focused on enjoying the festivities without alcohol or drugs. 
• Start a daily gratitude ritual. Over the next few days, wake up and write down one thing for which you’re truly grateful. Many people in recovery say practicing gratitude can help set the tone for a positive holiday. And, if it works, why not carry it into the New Year and beyond.
• Get in the spirit. Being sober during the holidays shouldn’t stop you from having fun! Bake some cookies, go for a hike, invite a friend for hot chocolate or check out a new movie — the possibilities are endless. Go ahead and build some new sober memories this holiday season. 

Wishing you joy, peace, happiness and lasting sobriety! 

Ready to Begin Recovery? 
If you feel it’s time for a new beginning, don’t let the holidays stand in your way. At Complete Harmony, we can tailor a treatment program to meet your needs at any time of year. To learn more, call 866-930-4673.