Staying Sober This New Year
Whether staying sober this New Year will benefit your recovery process or help you start a new lifestyle without an engulfing hangover; both are feasible goals.
Sobriety is a way of living, and there are some plans that you can now put into motion to help you stick to your goals, resolutions, and commitments.
Reasonably, whist the New Year provides the opportunity for a fresh start, it’s also an alcohol-heavy occasion. As newly recovered, it can be tough to overlook triggers, influences, and alcohol promotion, and it can also be challenging to remain on track with little to no willpower.
Yet, with planning, awareness, and a new outlook on the period, staying sober this New Year can be the reality for you. Here are 10 ways to prioritise an alcohol-free celebration.
For help with maintaining your sobriety, we’re here for you at Cassiobury Court.
Benefits of staying sober this New Year
There are many benefits to swapping the champagne for some mocktails this New Year, especially for people in recovery. All in all, staying sober this New Year will offer the best possible start to 2022.
From the lack of hangover and the ability to entirely focus on New Year’s resolutions to remain on track through the recovery process, sobriety is, in fact, underrated.
Understandably, for someone who can snap out of the overindulging time of the year to a fresh, healthy mindset, celebrating with alcohol will not be a problem. Yet, it can be challenging for those with alcohol problems to flit between both outlooks. Not only that, but the risks of relapse are high through justifying or actively consuming alcohol. For someone who’s battling fixations to alcohol, such chances are hazardous.
Lowering your boundaries for one night of alcohol-fuelled celebrations can trigger a relapse, can kickstart the New Year off poorly and can aggravate mental health. For recovering addicts, the sacrifice isn’t worth it, instead of best to stay sober.
Staying sober this New Year can be possible with our below guidance, helping you celebrate yet benefit from ongoing sobriety.
10 ways to help you stay sober this New Years
1. Host your own sober event
The best way to remain in control and have fun will be to host your own sober event. Whether it’s a party, a get-together with friends or a themed night in, celebrations can be encountered without the presence of alcohol.
2. Look for parties that aren’t alcohol-heavy
Someone you know may even be hosting a low-key New Year’s Eve party. With planning, awareness, and a set of coping strategies, being surrounded by low alcohol levels may be possible. It’s best to avoid alcohol-heavy social settings, as this can be difficult for recovering addicts to overlook. The fear of missing out, along with physical exposure, can trigger a relapse. Avoiding heavy exposure will therefore be recommended.
3. Search for AA/NA New Year events
If you’re a part of an AA or NA group, you will already have other sober people to share the journey with. You can either arrange your own or search for a local New Year get-together with those from your group. You can still celebrate this way, yet with greater support and fewer risks in place.
4. Have a plan in place
Planning for the New Year is recommended. Staying sober will require your complete focus and effort. You’ll want to be aware of where you’re visiting, who you’re seeing and the type of evening that will play out. With awareness and a plan, you can avoid/prepare for any triggers.
5. Focus on New Year’s Day
Instead of celebrating in the evening, celebrating New Year’s Day will make it easier to stay sober. By arranging early plans, you can make the most of a hangover-free start to the year. Celebrating will still be possible, yet through sober means.
6. Share your intentions and worries with others
It’s normal to worry about New Year and how it will pan out, and sharing your intentions and concerns with others is recommended. By sharing your worries with family members, friends or even your support group, you’ll have a network in place to guide you.
7. Do something that makes you happy
Your mental health will be critical across this time of year. By doing something that makes you happy, staying sober this New Year will be much more realistic. If you’re having fun, enjoying your time, and feeling positive, you’ll unlikely miss drinking alcohol.
8. Promote healthy habits
Your habits will reflect your physical actions and your psychological feelings. You’ll have a greater outlook on New Year by promoting healthy habits. Those habits can be carried forward to help you maintain your sobriety. Anything from your diet and sleep patterns to your daily routines should be considered.
9. Be present in the moment
It can be very easy to get caught up and sucked into the norms of New Year. By being present, being sober on New Year will be easier to justify. Appreciating how far you’ve come, appreciating your opportunity to remain sober and appreciating your ability to continue as sober will be motivating.
10. Continue your recovery process
Staying sober this New Year is a fulfilling and rewarding achievement. Yet you’ll want your efforts to continue to benefit genuinely. Set your intentions to take your health, wellbeing, and recovery seriously, using the New Year as a starting point.
Reaching sobriety at alcohol rehab
Alcohol withdrawal will be a crucial first step to reaching and sustaining sobriety. Completing an alcohol detox will be encouraged before your celebrations if you’re yet to withdraw. With professional and medical backing, withdrawing from alcohol will be possible, along with further rehabilitation steps to solidify recovery.
At Cassiobury Court, we can help you work through a detoxification process, additional treatment services and some self-help to enter the New Year as sober. Reach out for our support, available all year round.
Contact our team for a confidential chat for some personal tips on staying sober this New Year.
