With the New Year come new prospects and new changes, hopefully for the better. We at Beachside Rehab would hate to see you spend any of 2016 in a treatment center for alcohol addiction, so we have compiled a few helpful hints on how to stay sober in 2016.
New Years Eve and Other Celebrations
The last thing anyone wants to do is break any form of sobriety at the very beginning of a new year. But New Year’s Eve can prove very problematic, as well as the first few days of January, where everyone is still partying or on holiday. These days can seem like ‘free days’, where everyone else is having fun so you deserve to as well, right? The good news is that you can have fun without going back to your old ways and relapsing. Start the year with a bang, not a drink. The best thing to do is plan out your night, and party without indulging. This goes for any other celebration throughout the year. If you are alone on Valentines Day, don’t let it get you down, and definitely, don’t resort to drinking to make yourself feel better. Try organizing what to do on birthdays or holidays as early on in the year as possible, so you don’t have to stress about it at a later date.
New Years Resolutions
Let 2016 be the year that you make New Years Resolutions and actually stick to them, unlike the rest of the world. Most of the time people write down outlandish things that they would like to do in the New Year, and never complete these tasks, as they are often too difficult. Try making a list of small things that are actually achievable rather than setting yourself up to fail. Things like “never drink again” or “don’t think about illegal substances the whole year” are not helpful and will only make you feel worse if you fail. Rather, try things like “I will attempt to avoid any films that discuss or glorify substance abuse”, or “I will try and attend an AA meeting at least once a week”. Words like “try” and “attempt” are useful, as it won’t mean you fail the entire resolution if you slip up once or twice. Nobody is perfect, and sometimes life gets in the way. The best thing to do is write out a list of achievable goals, put it somewhere you can see it and try your best to stick to it in 2016.
Staying Sober
If you want to make changes in 2016, make changes. There is no use saying that you won’t resort back to the habits you picked up in 2015 if you do not put in the effort to change these habits. Start at the beginning of the year, there is no need to wait until February to revamp your life. Don’t let the prospect of another year become daunting, rather, continue taking each day as it comes. It’s okay if you make mistakes or slip up, but it’s not okay to give up. The best thing to do this year is to stay positive.