How to keep your sanity and protect your recovery during the holidays... Hang up the decorations... Spend time with family and friends... Buy Christmas gifts... Oh... And bring out the alcohol... WAIT... Stop... No. No alcohol for you... You're in recovery. And it's time to face the pressures of drinking, family issues, loneliness, and social pressures as the holiday season is already upon us. Yes, the holidays can all be oodles of fun... But it's also very stressful which means we need to take extra care to protect our sobriety. Hopefully, the following tips may prove helpful: #HopeandRecovery #learn2loveYOU #MySweetestAloha

1. Survival Tips For Sobriety:
HOW TO KEEP YOUR SANITY
AND PROTECT YOUR RECOVERY DURING THE HOLIDAYS

2. PRACTICE
EXCELLENT
SELF-CARE
I know… You’re busy and finding
the time to take care of yourself
can be hard and seems kind of
silly when it’s the season for
giving to others… But if you
don’t… It won’t be long before
you’re ragged from exhaustion
and operating in a mental fog
where it’s hard to care about
anything or anyone.
Because the holidays can be
extremely stressful… It’s vital to
your wellbeing to be sure to
create relaxing time for yourself
to indulge in daily meditation
and mindfulness.
“Self-care is not selfish… Long-term
success in recovery depends on your
ability to live a full & balanced life.”
~ Alessandra Toscanelli

3. SHARE A “YOU-NIQUE”
GRATITUDE
ATTITUDE
• Write down your blessings each day and
post them on your bathroom mirror so
you see them add up daily.
• Tell someone face to face how much they
mean to you… No social media.
• Give a anonymous donation of whatever
you can afford.
• Make a friend their favorite meal.
• Leave an inspirational book in a public
place for someone to find.
• Call your closest 5 people in your life and
let them know the unique impact they
have had on your life.
“Gratitude is evergreen…
It never goes out of season!!!”

4. PLAN AHEAD FOR TRIGGERS…
• Holidays are usually about family. If there are people in your family
who trigger you, be ready. You don't have to attend and participate
in every fight you're invited to... Plan what you'll say or do if someone
gives you a hard time.
• Be honest with yourself… It may be hard for you to be around alcohol
so keep your expectations realistic: if it is going to be too difficult,
maybe this year is a time to do something different. Setting yourself
up to fail is a bad idea. You can spend time at home watching movies
or hanging out with sober friends or volunteer at a shelter or simply
get some sleep.
• Remember to be proud of yourself - shame and guilt are huge
triggers. Give yourself credit for staying strong.
“I always remind myself it’s better to avoid than to regret… It works for me.”
~ Alessandra Toscanelli

5. STAY FIT TO STAY FIT
IN YOUR RECOVERY
• Exercise reduces the symptoms of
depression loneliness.
• Exercise promotes the release of
hormones that improve our moods
and greatly reduces feelings of
anxiety.
• Maintaining your exercise schedule
provides structure to your day
during the holidays.
• Getting a bit creative with exercise
and opting for fun ways to make
physical activities a family affair is a
wonderful way to establish healthy
bonds with those you love.
• Take advantage of gyms and
exercise studios that offer deals
and specials during the holidays…
Or try a free consultation with a
personal trainer to learn some new
moves for the new year.
“Exercise is my therapy… Really… My
treadmill is my best friend… It’s also my
mental relaxation time… & my sing-like-
a-rock-star time too.” ~ Alessandra Toscanelli

6. BE GOAL
ORIENTED
• Review your short-term and
long-term goals consistently
during the holidays and
perform weekly self-
evaluations to track your
progress.
• Keep in mind your
reasons for getting sober
and staying sober.
• See beyond the immediate
next few weeks to the future
you’re building for yourself.
• Let your mind and will
determine what you do, not
your feelings.
“When my mind is focused on my goals and
dreams for my future… I forget about my past
mistakes and I quit thinking about what I don’t
have so I can see the blessings of what I do
have… My recovery!!!” ~ Alessandra Toscanelli

7. CELEBRATE YOU
“You are here… You are blossoming… You are aware of your
struggle and your triumph over your addiction… You know
your battle with your mental illness… Yet still… YOU ARE IN
RECOVERY.
For whatever reasons… You fought your battles.
It's time to focus on what strengths pulled you up when the
entire world kept knocking you down.
That’s when you learn to love yourself as much as you love
others. You deserve to be celebrated and loved.”
“Blossom… & Be Awesome!!!”
~ Alessandra Toscanelli

8. BE
SPONTANEOUS
Stop getting so caught up in
everything that you think
you're supposed to do that
you forget to enjoy the
journey.
• Take time to live the
blessings of recovery.
• Make time every day to
delight in life.
• Tomorrow is not ever
guaranteed… Ever.
Seize the day, every day.
“Carpe Diem, Baby!!!”
~ Alessandra Toscanelli

9. WHEN ALL
ELSE FAILS…
Life can get eventful around the
holidays with all the shopping,
Christmas potlucks and holiday
parties. Yet, it’s still important to
continue practicing the recovery
skills you learned in treatment to
ensure you continue on your road
to a healthier and happier lifestyle.
Plan ahead… If you know you are
going to be out-of-town, do some
research and jot down the
addresses of local 12-step
meetings in your vacation
destination. Crisis moments
happen to all of us and it’s
important to have the support and
comfort of your fellow peers in
recovery.
“My best friends are the ones who
brings out the best in me and support
my recovery daily.” ~ Alessandra Toscanelli

10. IN RECOVERY…
HERE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVORITE QUOTES
“It is not easy to find happiness in ourselves, and it is not possible to find it elsewhere.”
~ Agnes Repplier
“I understood, through rehab, things about creating characters. I understood that creating
whole people means knowing where we come from, how we can make a mistake and how
we overcome things to make ourselves stronger.” ~ Samuel L. Jackson
“Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.” ~ Robert Collier
“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off
against the wind, not with it.” ~ Henry Ford
“If we are facing in the right direction, all we have to do is keep on walking.”
~ Zen proverb

11. The gift of joy beyond measure…
The gift of an abundance of Aloha…
The gift of healing and blissful peace…
The gift of your divine nature and your recovery…
May all of these gifts and blessings
be yours this holiday season!!!
~ Xoxoxo
© Alessandra Toscanelli ~ Multimedia Journalist and Program Director, Hope and Recovery Resource Center