Sober Holidays: Ways To Focus On Things That bring Joy In Recovery
- Host a holiday gathering for recovery friends and/or attend one of the many celebrations of your Twelve Step group.
- Write a letter to at least one person who has touched your life in a meaningful way during the past year. This is not only a wonderful gift to bestow as well as being an act of service; the letter will also remind you how far you have progressed in your recovery.
- If things start to feel “uncomfortable” try to use meditation, yoga, going for walks, exercising, reading recovery literature, journaling or a simple “Gratitude List”.
- Speaking of lists, make sure to check off all of your small “self care” tasks. Make sure that part of keeping your life manageable is making that “To Do” list a “Today List”. How can you enjoy that box of Christmas chocolates if you haven’t been to the dentist in years? How can you get a good Netflix fix if you have a mountain of laundry to do?
- Speaking of fixes, an easy fix to wanting to “get a fix” is helping someone other than yourself and getting to a meeting. Taking care of your spiritual needs is a healthy and necessary way to cope with the sobriety challenges of the holiday season.
There are so many opportunities in any give day to focus on things that bring joy in recovery. That’s not to say that obstacles and challenges won’t arise, because they most assuredly do. However, no matter what, it’s not what happens in our life but how we respond to what happens, that really makes or breaks a successful recovery.
Sometimes finding joy is right in front of you, and then other times, for whatever reason, you may need a little help to shift your focus to notice and appreciate it. That’s when concierge medicine and treatment for addiction and recovery with Dr. Harry comes in handy. Dr. Harry has helped so many people in recovery to learn and utilize many tools of recovery that are the foundation for success. When we decide to shift our focus and the way we think, our perspective changes. When this shift happens, our lives change.
A Holiday Gift From Dr. Harry: Enjoy The Present
If you are in recovery for addiction you have probably heard the expression “They call it “the present” because it’s a gift.” And sobriety is the “gift” that keeps on giving. Living in sobriety one day at a time requires us to live in the present moment, right here and right now. Practicing being present and staying in the moment is such a wonderful habit to get into, especially for people in recovery.
This year Dr. Harry suggests that you give yourself a “Holiday Gift”: Enjoy your holidays and the gifts that come with recovery by avoiding unrealistic expectations or trying to mimic those pressure “perfect” images that you see daily on social media. Keep your focus on your self, on being of service and on finding beautiful moments every day. Since the holidays are all about family and traditions, it’s the perfect time to create new and improved sober traditions. Avoiding old bad habits and traditions from addiction days can be difficult for recovering addicts who don’t have specific plans in place to stay sober. So, work with a counselor, sponsor, trusted friends and/or mentors or an addiction specialist like Dr. Harry who can provide words of wisdom and tips …and make sure you know what exactly what steps to take to avoid holiday problems that might prompt relapse.
Most importantly, remember that it’s much easier Not to pick up that first drink or drug than it is to try to stop using all over again!
Wishing everyone a safe, joyous and sober Holiday.