Sober for the Holidays? Here are 3 helpful tips

This time of year is full of great things like taking a break from work and spending time with family and friends. Still, it’s a very emotional time when tension can feel like it’s about to boil over, making alcohol a tempting option to ease our worries. And while there’s nothing wrong with that, there are some perks to spending the holidays sober, especially when you feel like you’re in a vulnerable place.

Trying to get through the holidays without the help of any substance is a tall order, but it’s still possible if it’s a priority. Here are some tips that can help you get through the holidays sober.

Find your triggers

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Most of us don’t think about what drives us to drink, so making a plan to spend the holidays sober can be a great opportunity for introspection. A helpful thing would be to think about your relationship with alcohol, writing down your thoughts whenever you feel the urge to drink, and trying to figure out what triggered that reaction. After a few days, you will begin to see some trends and patterns that can help you avoid triggering situations and make staying sober easier.

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

Stick to a routine during the big days

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Holidays like Christmas or New Year’s usually involve heavy drinking, making it harder to stay sober than other days. Make a plan for those dates and try to stick to it, wake up at a specific time, add a workout if you feel like it, and plan whatever you want to do to celebrate. If you want to laze over the holidays, the advice still applies; Plan your movie marathon, your calls to friends, or your video game binge.

Let people know your intentions

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If you’re spending the holidays with someone, let them know about your sobriety plans. There’s no need to go too deep into why you’re not drinking or using any substances over the holidays, but if you speak your feelings out there will likely be fewer people rushing you to drink if you do don’t want.