Ten Ways to Have a Happy, Relapse-Free Holiday

Cheers! It’s the holiday season and festivities abound.  Many of those festivities include alcohol or sometimes other substances that can make relapse easy.  A little planning can make the holidays a less treacherous time and help you maintain a healthy substance-free lifestyle.

1. Choose your holiday engagements carefully. If you know a celebration will include temptations or triggers for you, it might be prudent to skip it.  Make plans for that evening that will include something you can more safely enjoy so you don’t feel that you are missing out on the holidays.
2. Plan events with family or friends who don’t drink or use substances and see how much fun sober celebrations can be.
3. Holidays can be a time of stress and overextending yourself.  Don’t!  Make it a point to take care of yourself.  That might include making sure that you have a quiet time each day to rest and recharge.
4. Reach out to those people who are most supportive of your sobriety.  Allow them to help, and don’t hesitate to let them know when you could use their assistance.
5. Give yourself a holiday dose of self-care.  Don’t let yourself become overly tired before you take a break.  Make sure to eat regularly with healthy, nutritious meals.  Get enough sleep each night.
6. Realize that cravings may happen, but they will pass if you don’t act on them.  A craving is a thought, although powerful.  Realizing that it is just a thought and you are the thinker allows you to make the choice to let it pass and not act on it.
7. Have a response ready if someone encourages you to drink or use a substance.  Rehearse it so you can say it quickly and easily, and with determination.  It can be as simple as “No thanks, my resolution is to take better care of my health”.  Or whatever response is easy, true and comfortable for you to say.
8. Don’t be afraid to break old traditions if you think those traditions could threaten your sobriety.  Maybe you are expected to show up at Uncle Bob’s for Christmas, but perhaps this year you will just be stopping in to drop off gifts.
9. There are many opportunities to volunteer around the holidays.  Doing something for others is a great way to enjoy the holidays and feel good about what you are doing.
10. Celebrate your sobriety!  Give yourself a gift!  Do something that you enjoy and that is a treat for you. Plan a weekend for skiing, going to the spa, etc., or maybe buy yourself a token gift with the money you haven’t spent on drugs or alcohol.

Celebrate health and bring in a new year filled with the promise of good (substance-free) cheer!

Gulf Breeze Recovery is a holistic, non-12-step, substance abuse treatment program that focuses not only on helping individuals achieve sobriety, but also helping them begin and maintain a healthy, happy lifestyle.

If you or someone you care about, has an ongoing history of substance use and relapse, we offer hope and we can help.  Contact us at Gulf Breeze Recovery at or call: 833.551.2356 to speak to an addiction expert to learn more about our program that has helped so many people overcome their addiction, rediscover their dreams and embrace life. 

We help people not just to survive, but to THRIVE®.