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4 Ways to Navigate Holidays and Family Gatherings in Recovery

The holiday season involves a lot of triggers. These triggers can result from parties, increased home or workplace stress, ads featuring alcohol or other substances, and holiday invitations from friends or family who may have current or past associations with substance abuse. Finding ways to navigate family get-togethers and holiday events can be challenging. The Guest House provides a supportive network to guide you through any difficulties you may experience during the holiday season.

4 Ways to Navigate Holiday Get-Togethers

Most people in early recovery have difficulty knowing how to react in social situations where they may encounter one or more triggers. Holiday events and family get-togethers may feel like minefields of possible triggers. Learning practical coping skills and preparing to manage emotional reactions in advance can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed in social situations. Below are four ways to successfully navigate social gatherings.

#1. Bring a Sober Companion, Sponsor, or Supportive Friend

You will feel more comfortable at holiday events if you have someone with you who understands your situation, your recovery goals, and your triggers. Bringing a sober companion, sponsor, or supportive friend to get-togethers can reduce stress and provide valuable emotional support. Those with more complex mental health issues or persistent symptoms may benefit more from having someone familiar with the process of addiction recovery accompanying them. The Guest House can provide you with the resources to connect with local sponsors or mentors who can offer additional encouragement and accountability.

#2. Create an Exit Strategy Ahead of Time

Some personal or professional events may last for a significant length of time, and you may benefit from having an exit plan in place. This plan helps you to leave early if you become overwhelmed. Creating an exit strategy in advance also increases confidence and gives you something to focus on if you feel uncertain about how to react in certain situations.

Some examples of exit strategies to use during holiday events include the following:

  • Preparing a polite, non-confrontational reason to excuse yourself from the gathering
  • Driving yourself to ensure you can leave at any point
  • Coordinating a discreet signal with a trusted companion to indicate when you need to leave
  • Asking a trusted friend or family member to call you at a specific time to give you an excuse to leave

Having someone you trust alongside you or willing to check in with you throughout the day can help you feel more comfortable attending holiday get-togethers. According to Alcohol and alcoholism, individuals “who have a sponsor have higher rates of abstinence.”

#3. Plan Ahead to Manage Triggering Topics or Situations

If you know the people you will be interacting with during holiday events and get-togethers, it can be helpful to make a list of potential topics you know those individuals may be interested in talking about. You can identify potentially triggering topics or situations you may anticipate and create healthy strategies for dealing with them.

For example, if you know a family member is likely to bring up your substance abuse, you can make a list of topics they enjoy talking about so you can steer the conversation. You can initiate a discussion about something neutral that they feel passionate about.

#4. Prioritize Self-Care Before the Event

In the days leading up to a family dinner or other holiday event, you can prioritize self-care to reduce feelings of stress or anxiety. You can avoid feeling overwhelmed by arriving at the event feeling more relaxed. Physical relaxation and self-care are just as important as emotional self-care. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), “Even small acts of self-care in your daily life can have a big impact.”

Before attending potentially stressful events, you can take several days to prepare by doing the following:

  • Getting plenty of sleep each night
  • Staying physically active and engaged using relaxing and low-stress activities like yoga
  • Eating regular nutritious meals
  • Meditating or using other mindfulness techniques to promote calm and relaxation

The holidays can be a hectic time of year. Establishing self-care routines for a few minutes each day can help you manage stress.

The Guest House Provides Alumni With Ways to Navigate Social Gatherings

If you do not feel comfortable navigating holiday get-togethers without support, you can rely on experts at The Guest House to help you. Clinicians may refer you to sober companions, sponsors, or others who provide practical and sometimes in-person support. You can also use the alumni services to prepare for the holiday season by developing new coping skills and strategies for managing triggers. Clinicians will collaborate with you to determine what coping strategies might work best for your situation.

The compassionate mental health and addiction recovery professionals at The Guest House prioritize alumni safety and comfort during their ongoing recovery. Contact the care team for more information about how they can help you maintain sobriety during the holiday season.

You may find it stressful to mingle with friends and family during holiday events. Uncomfortable questions or the presence of triggers may cause anxiety. Preparing yourself for potential scenarios you may encounter and developing strategies for coping with them reduces stress and allows you to enjoy family get-togethers and other holiday events. Support systems are critical during the holidays. However, friends and social circles often become more distant during the holidays as they get busy with preparations or travel to visit loved ones. Finding alternative forms of support is essential to your continued sobriety and mental wellness. The Guest House can help you find healthy forms of support during the holidays. Call us today at (855) 483-7800.