New Jersey Alcohol Addiction Center Help Your Clients Manage Holiday Stress

These irrational, negative, unhelpful thoughts are also known as cognitive distortions. When this happens, try to ground yourself and reframe your thoughts to reach more neutral, reasonable thoughts. It encourages everyone to pause and take a deep breath, slow down, and nonjudgmentally observe what is taking place. This practice not only grants space to implement skills with a slight reprieve from mental chaos, but also allows time to challenge dichotomous thinking and contemplate future actions. For others, refocusing can serve as a time of reflection to understand what is working versus what challenges remain. For many, it is a time to increase communication within a multidisciplinary team or create one, and seek the support of knowledgeable professionals.

We should strive to commit even when our energy levels and current emotions are negative. However, we may rest and take time when we are feeling overwhelmed and opt to rest rather than forcing ourselves to go out. Spending time with sober friends, attending counseling, and taking time alone for personal reflection will help us in the long run. When faced with stressful times, recovery is a choice that needs to be backed up by our actions. This will help us stay strong and grounded and actively use our tools and skills to avoid relapsing to our substance use. Making a choice to practice mindfulness daily will prepare us for tough times. Sobriety is a huge accomplishment, and succeeding in recovery is more impressive.

Safe and Sober Labor Day 2022

Plan to practice verbal responses with those that may be triggering and you are not able to avoid. Plan for moments where you can be present and mindful of what you are doing. It is easy to be caught up in the holiday chaos and stress and forget how powerful living in the moment can be. This allows you to keep working your recovery while still facing challenges in small steps. Having a plan can help you meet small challenges and feel they are achievable, rather than going into situations feeling unprepared. There may be situations are not ready to handle, or become too triggering, and recognizing that is alright.

It’s an old adage, but sometimes personal gifts—like a poem, short story, or framed photo—are the best ones. You can also give the gift of helping a neighbor, a friend, a family member, or a stranger. It’s the act of giving that is more important than a present. Our generosity can be a gift to ourselves, because when we focus on others, and less on ourselves, we tend to reduce our anxiety. It’s very common to get caught up in the commercialization and marketing of the holidays. We can feel stressed about spending on a strained budget or from trying to find just the right gift.

Memorial Day – Remembering and Honoring the Fallen

Being assertive is also important in eating disorder self-care. Practicing with your therapist on how to be assertive in body language, verbally, and boundaries are important in taking care of yourself. Safe Harbor Recovery Center, located in Portsmouth, Virginia, serves adult men and women who have been diagnosed with substance use disorders.

• For example, in North America, Christmas is a dominant holiday; it is promoted and often presented as universal.
• Mindfulness can help you focus on your emotions rather than avoiding them, making sure you deal with painful feelings in healthier ways.
• On the Fourth of July, we must acknowledge that throughout history and today, Black, Indigenous, and other communities experiencing marginalization do not have the same freedoms as other citizens.
• Even though the desire might feel overwhelming, it is possible to stay sober during tough times.
• If there’s no one you can lean on in person, have at least one person you can call or text when you’re in need.

These emotions can become overwhelming and affect our soberness by tempting us to relapse. We must take the appropriate steps to learn from our past mistakes and live in the present. Managing our schedules and time will help keep our important engagements, such as going for an AA meeting or meeting your counselor.

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If you plan to attend any holiday events or gatherings, consider bringing a sober support person with you. Talk reframing holidays in early recovery with your AA or NA sponsor regularly and keep attending support group meetings like you normally would.

Recovery teaches us to approach stress differently and methods to rewire our brain processes stressors. The skills we learn can help maintain our soberness during tough times. Stress is a powerful trigger that increases our chances of relapse.

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For many, the start of a new year is a fresh start… a time for reflection, new direction, and attention on goals. You’ve likely heard about “Dry January” and how this challenge can help people take steps to form a new habit of sobriety. Remember that much can be learned from things not working out as planned, if faced with an open mind.