Tips For Staying Sober During The New Year’s Celebrations

The New Year season is a time when many people tend to let their hair down and do some serious celebrating with family and friends. For people in recovery, unhealthy partying is simply not an option if they want to stay committed to the path of sobriety. How can you resist temptation at this time of year when there are so many stressors and distractions waiting for you at every turn? Here are some suggestions to help you stay on track without reverting to old behaviors.

How To Stay On The Sober Track During New Year’s Celebrations

Plan Your Days In Advance

One of the worst things that you can do when in recovery, especially in the early days, is to have large blocks of time available when you will be left to your own devices. Having time on your hands opens the door to becoming bored or thinking about past events. Neither of these are a productive use of your time. If you have activities scheduled in advance, you can keep your mind focused on what your life is like now and the positive aspects of your sober lifestyle.

Pace Yourself

When making plans for your time during the New Year, be honest with yourself about how much energy you have for different activities. If you are feeling stressed and over tired because of multiple demands on your time, you are more likely to have a relapse than if you are feeling better rested.

Take time to get extra rest if you need it, even if it means leaving some events early or choosing not to attend others. Staying sober must be your first priority.

Bring Your Own Non-alcoholic Drinks

To ensure that you will be able to have the non-alcoholic drink of your choice at a New Year gathering, bring your own bottle of sparkling cider, juice, or soft drink to the party. There is no reason why you can’t have it in a beautiful glass and enjoy the occasion like other guests, but by sticking to this choice you avoid any chance of alcohol impairment when it’s time to go home.

Have Support Lined Up In Advance

One of the best recovery tips you can put in place for yourself before the New Year is to prepare for the probability that you will run into challenging times during this season. Rather than scrambling to find help when you are dealing with the urge to start drinking, have a list of people you can call for support lined up in advance.

Know when and where the closest support group meeting is being held. If you are planning to travel during the New Year, make a point of finding out where the local chapter is holding its meeting so that you can keep up with your usual schedule of attendance.

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