4 tips if you want to stay sober over the holidays

We are here again. Despite vaccines and some relative calm in recent months, COVID-19 cases are picking up again and many people’s vacation plans have been thrown out the window. This leaves most of us in a pretty vulnerable place, making alcohol a tempting option to allay our concerns, which we have done a lot over the past two years. And while there’s nothing wrong with this approach, you could also try keeping the holidays sober.

Trying to get through the vacation without the help of any substance is a great challenge under normal circumstances. In these circumstances it is borderline unrealistic. However, if you are feeling uncomfortable with alcohol or other substances, here are some tips that can help you stay sober over the holidays.

Find your triggers

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Most of us don’t think about what makes us want to have a drink. Take this opportunity to think to yourself, reflect on your relationship with alcohol, and write down whenever you feel the need to drink and what triggered that response. After a few days, you will begin to see some trends and patterns that can help you avoid triggering situations and make it easier to stay sober.

Tracking your triggers is also a helpful practice if you are using alcohol or substances to numb emotions, which should be cause for concern.

Stick to a routine on the big days

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Solid days like Christmas Eve or New Years Eve are usually associated with lots of drinking, which makes it harder to stay sober than other days. Make a plan for these dates and try to stick to it, wake up at a specific time, maybe exercise, and plan whatever you want to celebrate. If you don’t feel like exercising during the vacation, it’s fine. This advice continues to apply; Plan your movie marathon, your phone calls with friends or your video game frenzy. Keep yourself busy and the chances of drinking or thinking too much will be drastically reduced.

Let people know of your plans

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When you spend the holidays with someone, share your plans with them. There’s no need to go too deep into why you don’t drink or use substances during the holidays, but verbalizing this will likely be less of a nuisance to you into making you drink when you don’t want to.

Keep in touch with loved ones

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No matter what your plans on over the holidays, whether you’re traveling alone or staying with the family, it’s okay to feel overwhelmed. The pandemic is harsh and the holidays are the perfect occasion for heightened emotions. Reach out to loved ones and let them know how you are feeling; chances are they’ll likely deal with something similar.