Holiday Tips - Twelve Tips

Twelve Tips on keeping Your Holiday Season Sober and Joyous.

Holidays parties without liquid spirits may still seem a dreary propect to people new to recovery. But many of us have enjoyed the happiest hoildays of our lives sober--an idea we would never dream of, wanted, or believed possible when drinking. Here are some tips for having and all around ball without a drop of alcohol.

1. Line up extra recovery activities for the hoilday season. Arrange to take newcomers to meetings, answer the phones at a clubhouse or central office, speak, help with the dishes, or visit the alcoholic ward at a hospital.

2. Be host to recovery friends, especially newcomers. If you don't have a place where you can throw a formal party, take one person to a diner and spring for coffee.

3. Keep your recovery telephone list with you at all times. If a drinking urge or panic comes--postpone everything else until you've called another person in recovery.

4. Find out about the special holiday parties, meetings, or other celebrations given by groups in your area, and go. If you're timid, take someone newer than you are.

5. Skip all drinking occasions you are nervous about. Remember how clever you were at excuses when drinking? Now put the talent to good use. No office party is as important as saving your life.

6. If you have to go to a drinking party and can't take a recovery friend with you, keep some candy handy. Also, take your cell phone with you and a phone list. Call people.

7. Don't think you have to stay late. Plan in advance an" important date" you have to keep.

8. Go to church. Any church. You don't have to be religious. Make it your own meditation time.

9. Don't sit around brooding. Catch up on those books, museums, walks, and letters.

10. Don't start now getting worked up about all those holiday temptations, Remember-"One Day At A Time".

11. Enjoy the true beauty of holiday love and joy. Maybe you cannot give material gifts -- But this year, you can give love.

12. Having had a ..." No need to spell out the Twelfth Step here, since you already know it.

What are some of the things you can share that you do to take care of yourself during the holiday season?