Memorial Day weekend may be the official kick-off to summer, but events such as these are often anxiety-inducing for those in recovery. Living a sober lifestyle is hard enough on a regular day, but holidays and seasonal events bring with them the pressure to drink. If you’re newly out of an alcohol addiction treatment program, the first long weekend of summer could bring more dread than excitement. Happily, our Fort Behavioral Health team would like to share techniques you can use to stay sober during this holiday that’s infamous for alcohol.
Plan Ahead for Sober Holidays
Living a sober lifestyle takes lots of planning — planning places you won’t go and people you won’t see. It means getting plenty of rest on the days leading up to the holiday and having firm plans to carry you through it.
Have a busy schedule that begins with quitting time on Friday night and doesn’t slow down until late Monday evening. As a result, there will be no temptation to accept those last-minute invitations from friends who use alcohol. You won’t have time to pop in at the neighbor’s barbecue or drive out to that bonfire at the lake. Instead, you’ll have places you need to go and people who look forward to seeing you. For example, plan a family outing to take all the cousins to the zoo. Alternately, you might pick your best oldest friend to spend the weekend with — going fishing, going shopping, or taking a weekend trip to the country.
If all else fails, schedule a little overtime at work over the holiday. It may earn you time-and-a-half while keeping you safely occupied and away from temptation.
Enlist the Help of Friends and Family
Use your network of supportive friends and family to get you through Memorial Day weekend sober. Sober holidays are easier when you have someone you can talk to and have fun with. And don’t forget to include members of your recovery community in your plans. Use this time to plan an informal reunion or a meetup at a local, alcohol-free park, or another venue. You might even make plans to stay in all weekend, watching patriotic movies with your friends and ordering your favorite takeout treats.
Be Especially Kind to Yourself This Weekend
If there is ever a time to be good to yourself, holidays in recovery are it. Get plenty of rest this weekend and take time to do things you’ve wanted to do but have been putting off. These may include:
- Turning your bathroom into a spa for the weekend, complete with candles and fluffy new towels
- Spending the weekend exploring garage sales or antique malls
- Buying yourself something you’ve always wanted
- Stopping by a local restaurant for your favorite decadent dessert
- Catching up with old friends who don’t use
It’s important that you don’t allow yourself to feel left out or deprived over Memorial Day weekend. Otherwise, you may revisit those places and people that are off-limits.
Discover More Sober Activities for Memorial Day at Fort Behavioral Health
Living a sober lifestyle is challenging for millions, and if you need help in or around Texas, Fort Behavioral Health is waiting. Fort Behavioral Health offers a drug and alcohol addiction treatment program to those who may benefit from substance abuse treatment. If you’re in need, or you know someone who may benefit from treatment for drug or alcohol addiction, call us today at 844.332.1807. You may also visit us online to learn about your options for maintaining sober holidays.
Regardless of where you are in your addiction or recovery, our experienced clinicians and counselors are standing by to assist you. Make the choice today to seek treatment for substance use disorder.
