The holiday season can be a tough time for people who struggle with substance use. It often disrupts our normal routines–sleep, diet, exercise, and social life–which are important for staying balanced and healthy. Holiday parties and late nights can make it harder to stick to a regular sleep schedule, leaving people tired and stressed. With so many sugary and savory foods around, it’s easy to eat too much of what isn’t good for us. Travel and overall busyness this time of year, makes it harder to stick to a regular exercise routine. And even though the holidays are supposed to be a time for connection and joy, family gatherings can sometimes be stressful, especially if there are arguments or tension among family members.
When our routines are disrupted, we don’t get enough sleep, it’s harder to handle our emotions, and we might make impulsive choices, like turning to alcohol or drugs to feel better. Changes in our diet can make us feel sluggish or moody, and for some people, can increase the temptation to turn to substances to boost our mood or energy. Regular exercise helps reduce stress and improves our mood naturally, but when we don’t move as much, we can feel down and look for other ways to feel better. Tension between family or friends could leave people feeling overwhelmed and looking for an escape, which can lead to more substance use. As you can see, all of these changes in our routines can make the holidays a particularly risky time for anyone dealing with substance use issues.
Even though the holidays can be stressful, there are things people can do to protect themselves and feel better.
- Keep some parts of your normal routine. For example, try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even if there are late-night parties or events. Keeping a normal sleep schedule can improve mood and cognitive function, reduce stress and other health risks. It can also reduce the likelihood of emotional decision-making, which is often associated with the overuse of substances.
- Eating balanced meals and maintaining your regular mealtime schedule can also make a big difference. Sticking to healthy habits like these helps us stay more in control of our emotions and less likely to rely on substances to cope.
- Short bursts of activity can have many health benefits. Take the stairs even if that’s not what you would typically do, park farther away when out shopping or running errands, get up and dance while listening to music, and take short walks once a day or between breaks. Looking for opportunities to get just a little bit of exercise could be one of the best things you do to help improve your mood and lower stress through the holidays.
- Prioritize opportunities to spend time with people who energize you and are easy to be around. Family obligations may make it hard to avoid tension or conflict, but prioritizing time with people who make you feel good can help maintain your energy and mood, and reduce the negative impact of stress brought on by those situations.
For those struggling with substance use, getting support is especially important. Many community groups, like Alcoholics Anonymous or SMART Recovery, offer meetings and events during the holidays to help people stay connected and avoid relapse. Talking to a therapist can also provide tools to handle stress and emotions in a healthy way. The holidays don’t have to be perfect to be meaningful, and taking small steps to care for yourself can make a big difference in staying strong through the season.