Tis the season to be jolly! However, this is not the case for everyone. Christmas should be a happy, family focused occasion, however, for people struggling with sobriety, it can be an anxiety-induced period of time that needs to be endured instead of enjoyed. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. When I first started my own sobriety journey, I was really worried about Christmas. Pre-Covid-19, we would have a lot of family and friends over to visit during the Christmas and New Year period. This use to be a time of too much booze and not knowing when to stop. Taking my first leap into sobriety wasn’t just a big change for me, it was a new experience for my wife, my son and our close family and friends who were used to me being the first to open the wine and dish it out. Things changed BIG TIME.

I drunk for over 20 years because I falsely believed that life would be no fun without alcohol, I also thought that drinking helped ease my anxiety and enabled me to relax. What would be the point of meeting friends or having family over if I couldn’t open a bottle or two of wine, which during Christmas could easily creep above three bottles. Not only did I have voices in my head pressuring me to drink and craving more, but my social network were also drinkers, so I had the social pressure of ‘one isn’t going to hurt’, ‘don’t be boring, Simon’, ‘come on, we are all having a drink tonight’. It’s not their fault and I don’t hold any resentment or feel any sense of blame towards others, it was my problem, not theirs. For 20 years they were used to me drinking to excess and this literally changed overnight, I imagine it was quite a shock.

If you are worried about the upcoming festive period and you think you might slip back to drinking or that you won’t enjoy yourself as you feel tempted to drink but can’t open the booze, then this blog post is for you. I have put together my tips to enjoy Christmas and New Year without alcohol. Not just to survive it, but to thrive and prove to yourself that needing alcohol to have a good time is a complete false belief that holds you back, it has been created by your addiction.

Below are some of my top tips to enjoy this Christmas period without alcohol that have worked really well for me.

#Tip 1 – Splurge on Alcohol-free Drinks

If, like me, you still love to have a drink available for special occasions, then making sure you have a selection of alcohol-free drinks to hand really can work wonders. Sobriety can be a mind game, so tricking your brain into having alcohol-free drinks will make you feel like you aren’t missing out. Moving into the new year there are now (more than ever before) a fantastic choice available for the alcohol-free range. Whether you want alcohol-free beer, wine, spirits or botanicals, there are some great options out there. You don’t have to miss out when others are drinking, in fact, these non-alcoholic options taste better than their booze infused alternatives in my opinion.

#Tip 2 – Sober Activities

Alcohol addiction loves idol hands. Christmas can be a fantastic time to relax with downtime away from work or other normal day-to-day activities, however, this break in routine can be a problem for people starting out or trying to remaining alcohol-free. Now is the perfect time to invest in self-care and development. Keeping your mind occupied is so important. Some of my top suggestions include picking up a sober book to help learn some new techniques and strategies to smashing your sober life. I have reviewed some of my top sober book suggestions HERE. Reading not your thing? Sober podcasts are a fantastic alternative to help keep your mind occupied and focused to starve any boredom that might set in. I have reviewed some of my top podcast suggestions HERE.

#Tip 3 – Avoid Loneliness

The Covid-19 pandemic has made loneliness a real issue for many people. If you were planning to have friends and family visit at Christmas or you were going to see others and now these plans have been dashed, then loneliness over the festive period might be a concern. If you live on your own, then I would urge you to keep your mind occupied to avoid the negative feelings of being on your own. There are some fantastic support networks out there, including my online support network on Facebook. Just reading posts and comments from other people who are sharing their sobriety journeys and knowing you are not alone can be so positively powerful. Get out of the house where possible, explore the great outdoors. Exercise – get those endorphins flowing.

#Tip 4 – Keep Perspective

In your mind, Christmas can feel like a long period of time, in reality. But the fact is that we are only awake for around 12 to 14 hours and New Years Eve is only celebrated for a few hours. Don’t give the days more power in your mind than they deserve, or let such as short period hinder your sobriety journey, it is just another day. By understanding that it’s only an extremely short period of your life and understanding that before you know it it will be gone, you can avoid making this time of year a bigger issue than it needs to be.

#Tip 5 – Avoid Triggers

Is cooking the Christmas dinner a trigger for you to crave to drink alcohol? If so, then don’t cook this year. Or, make sure you have plenty of your favourite alcohol-free drinks available. Are there certain family members you meet that always encourage you to drink? If so, set boundaries to protect yourself or avoid contact with them this year if you feel they could hinder your sobriety. It is also sensible to have a support partner with you when you are at functions that might feel like a challenge to help keep you on track. The trick here is being completely honest with yourself. Get clear on what factors are likely to increase your want or need to drink over the festive period and do your best to avoid being in these situations this year.

#Tip 6 – Sit Back and Reflect

Christmas is the perfect time for reflection. If you are struggling with sobriety over Christmas then invest some time to look back at how far you have come. You may have had 100 set backs on your sobriety journey, but those are 100 times you are trying to improve your life for you and your family, you will have learned something on each occasion and become better equipped with your new found strength and knowledge. Do you have a sobriety journal? If so, then read through old entries and take stock of what you have learnt over the past 365 days. Look at where you are now compared to this time last year and be proud, celebrate it. If you don’t have a journal, then I urge you to start one so you can look back this time next year. I guarantee you will love reading through it.

#Tip 7 – Don’t Make Alcohol the Star

Has alcohol become a tradition that takes centre stage at Christmas? It is for so many people and drinking is encouraged by friends, family, colleagues and even the media. Maybe you had a Baileys with your breakfast or Champagne when people arrive. Or you might have opened a bottle or two of wine with the big dinner. Break these traditions for this year, don’t let alcohol be the centre of attention, let your family and friends be the centre and your own mental and physical health. Consider making new ‘sober traditions’ that you can carry forward into your future alcohol-free festive periods.

#Tip 8 – Write Down Your Feelings

The saying, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved’ is so true. If you don’t feel you can talk to others at the moment openly, then writing your feelings down in a journal is extremely powerful. Instead of keeping all of your feelings locked in your head, writing them down provides a relief that often makes challenging feelings and thoughts seem more rational. The process also helps you document the positive and negative emotions you are coping with right now. Be brutally honest with yourself, the paper is not going to judge you.

#Tip 9 – Say No

You are likely going to face people offering you booze over this festive period or inviting you to events which could be big triggers for you to start drinking. Say NO to these situations. Other people may not be aware of your sobriety journey, or they might know you have quit alcohol, but don’t realise the seriousness of your drinking. By saying no, they may be taken aback or try to make you feel guilty, but this is your life and you have full control over what you want to do. Finding your voice and learning to say no when you need to is a huge part of your personal griwth.

#Tip 10 – Seek Help

Don’t be afraid to seek help and support this Christmas. If you are feeling depressed, emotional, lonely, worried or sad then don’t shy away from professional help from a doctor or take this Christmas to be completely open and honest with your family and friends. You may be shocked to find out that they aren’t surprised that you have a problem with drinking and your family will likely be relieved that you have acknowledged you are struggling and need help. My wife and son were extremely proud of me for taking the first steps on my sobriety journey and this only encouraged me further to succeed in my sober life.

Christmas can be an amazing time of the year or it can be an extremely tough time of the year if you don’t plan ahead, this can depend on your mindset and outlook. I really wanted to put this blog together as I completely understand some of thoughts and emotions you might be going through during this festive period. I have also created a video on my YouTube Channel around this subject, which I hope you find helpful.

Whatever you spend time doing this year, I hope you have a lovely Christmas. Stay safe, stay sober and stay in control, not just for your family but for you as well.

The festive period is a time where you should be able to enjoy yourself and not feel held back by not drinking alcohol. Remember, the best gift you can give yourself and the people you care about this year is being sober and present. I hope the tips above help to provide you with some tools with not just staying sober for this Christmas and New Years, but also having a fantastic time!

Happy Christmas!!