Make a Plan, and a Back-up Plan: Structure is important when you’re recovering from an addiction and becoming a healthy self. The unknown can present unforeseen obstacles, so make sure you have enough information about the celebration to know what you’re walking into or who. If you know that the hotdogs and hamburgers offered will quite possibly be a trigger, stick to your own routine wellness practices. Eat a meal you’re comfortable with beforehand and bring a cooler with some snacks that will keep you energized throughout the night. If you’re worried about people offering you a drink, have a cup with you filled with water, soda, or another beverage so you can easily deflect and let them know you’re already all set.
Focus on Celebrating What Really Matters: Too often, we follow a pattern of behavior without much thought. Why do we celebrate the independence of our country by guzzling beer and grilling food? Focus on your sobriety or your self care journey recovery. Those things are truly worth celebrating and if you’re not in the mood for a party, have your family take a hike or spend the day swimming at the beach to take care of yourself first. There’s no one way to celebrate, and creating your own healthy traditions may make this your best 4th of July yet.
Have a Set Time that You’ll Leave: Most celebrations get more out of hand the longer they run, so enjoy your time but set a reasonable time for departure as part of your mental health maintenance plan. It’ll also help you avoid traffic and accidents, which are common occurrences on this holiday weekend, adding to the wellness practices.
Be Selfish: Sometimes, being selfish and taking care of yourself first is critical. And if it involves your healthy self and your continued recovery, make the choices that you need to support them. If it means not going at all or just dropping by to say hello, know that your self care journey is the most important thing. Your friends and family will still enjoy their night, no matter how bad the guilt trip that they gave you for prioritizing acts of self care.
During this holiday, remember that your decisions to take care of yourself first impact your quality of life. Choose to continue making decisions that benefit your health and those who love you most.
