January 1 is an invitation for every person to start over, no matter the circumstances. It’s also the target date to make it through a tempting holiday season for someone who is working hard to stay sober. You can celebrate the season and welcome in the new year without damaging the progress you have made or missing out on fun.
1 – Keep Moving
Physical activity is an important element of recovery and sober living. Whether you live in warm or cold temps, dress for the weather and get outdoors for fresh air. Join an adult sports league, sign up for dance lessons, or train to run a 5K. Every time you’re feeling tempted or low through the holidays, choose movement instead.
2 – Create Gifts
If you’ve always been the person who loves to gift people with bottles of wine or spirits, sober living demands that you get creative. If the thought of tackling the chaos in stores stresses you out and you don’t love shopping online, take matters into your own hands and make gifts to share the love. Bake cookies, knit socks, make jam, or learn a new art like candle-making or quilling to build up your gift pile and keep busy.
3 – Throw Your Own Party
If you’re worried about attending alcohol-filled parties, create your own celebration and invite your nearest and dearest to celebrate without booze. It doesn’t have to be a big gathering and you get to decide what is served. Kindly let guests know that it’s a sober shindig so no one shows up with bottle in hand as a hostess gift.
4 – Start a New Tradition
Don’t let nostalgia get to you at holiday time; when you are recovery, it’s an invitation to start new traditions that represent the new you. If you have always stayed put on the holidays, consider traveling instead. Never leave the house on Christmas Eve? Go caroling, see a movie, or attend a church service. New settings and new experiences help support your fresh state of mind at a challenging time of year.
5 – Keep Your Support System Close
One of the most difficult pieces of sober living is establishing new routines and stepping away from the familiar. Know who you can rely on when and if the season catches up with you and tries to derail your recovery. Rely on the support of your holistic rehab facility at any time of the day or night, any season of the year.
Beachside Rehab in West Palm Beach, Florida, offers inpatient and outpatient detox, rehab, and holistic recovery. Call today at 866-349-1770 to speak with a trained admissions counselor.
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash