Whether you are wondering how to stay sober on New Year’s Eve, or you are making a new resolution to stay sober- learn tips for navigating New Year’s and sobriety.If you are looking forward to the coming new year with hope for a healthier future, like most of us you are probably thinking about things you can cut back on or stop altogether, or things you can start doing to better your life. Many of us have made New Year’s resolutions to stop drinking, and the thought of getting sober during the holidays can sound like a setup for failure but getting and staying sober during the holidays is an attainable goal. We have some ideas to help you create realistic goals for how to stay sober on New Year’s Eve and staying sober at a party in general that will help you get a head start on your New Year’s resolution of sobriety.Let’s start with a few tips for helping you make your goal setting successful!
- Start by setting mini-goals! Often people do not succeed in keeping their New Year’s resolutions because they have set their goal with too high of expectations. If your goal is to get sober and you have been drinking for a long time, or in large quantities, maybe you should establish some smaller goals first like calling a professional to get advice on how to safely stop your drinking, and then following through with what that advice is (enrolling in detox or treatment or contacting your medical doctor first). Another goal, to begin with, could be to get rid of all the bottles of alcohol in your home or commit to not buying any new alcohol, or frequenting people or places where alcohol is present.
- Document your progress! By making a list of these mini-goals and checking them off as you complete them, you are setting yourself up for successful thinking! When you see the progress you have made, you are less likely to have negative self-talk or judgment about achieving your goals or about yourself and are more likely to be your own cheerleader!
- Be patient and gentle with yourself! Having a positive attitude helps tremendously when working toward goals. Life events are going to occur as we work on staying sober that will make us want to drink but beating yourself up for having those thoughts is not helpful. Forgive yourself. No one is perfect and give yourself kudos for being on the sober path!
- Reach out! If you are not a social butterfly or balk at the thought of asking for help, this tip can be extremely difficult, but it is one of the most important things you can do to succeed in staying sober! By surrounding yourself with supportive, like-minded people who have similar sobriety goals, you have a greater chance of success! Having the peace of mind that “you are not alone”, has saved many an alcoholic’s sobriety, and enlisting healthy accountability partners is a safety net every person trying to stay sober needs.
- Slow down and meditate! A commitment to staying sober is a life-long goal to achieve. Slowing down the pace of life allows for greater mental clarity and harmony to flourish. Meditation is a great tool to help you slow down your mind and refocus. By starting out your day with this peace-bringing and refueling practice you are setting yourself up for a clear and sober mind each day!
- Reward yourself for your achievements! No matter how big or small your achievements are while you are on the sober path, acknowledge them!
- You committed to staying sober, quite an achievement!
- You get rid of all the alcohol in your home, goal achieved!
- You turn down a drink at a party, goal achieved!
- You researched treatment options, goal achieved!
- You asked your significant other to respect your sobriety by not drinking, goal achieved!
- You are reading this blog, goal achieved!
Etc. Etc. … The list of your achievements on the path to staying sober will be huge and celebrating them should be something you make a priority. Staying sober is not an easy task. You are strong and brave for setting your sights on being sober in the new year!Now that we have gotten some ideas for successful goal setting, let’s look at ways to stay sober on New Year’s Eve.Planning or planning to attend a New Year’s Eve sober party can be a fun new way for you to bring in the new year! Let’s be honest, drinking on New Year’s is something a lot of people do, but often that drinking leads to regretful experiences. If you are a party planner, this is your time to shine! You can host a movie or game night or potluck or a theme night with vintage clothing or worldly food selections, the list goes on and on of possibilities! Or if you are looking for a planned sober event to attend, there are lots of AA and Al-Anon groups that have events on holidays that you can be around like-minded people and maybe make some new friends at!There is no time like the present! If you are looking to spend your new year sober, give us a call at Oregon Trail Recovery and we will help you come up with the best plan to get you on the sober track and set goals that you can achieve successfully along the way! Our number is (855) 770-0577 and our staff is available to you 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.We wish you a safe and sober New Year, from all of us at Oregon Trail Recovery!
