10 Tips to Stay Sober This Summer – Avalon Recovery Society

Summer is here! The birds are chirping, the sun is shining and invites to outdoor get-togethers and barbecues are starting to go out. For those in recovery, summertime social activities present unique challenges. Not only do many gatherings seem to revolve around drinking and drug use, but the summer bliss can create temptations to romanticize drinking and selectively forget all the bad sides of using. This blog was written to help you conquer summer gatherings while maintaining your sobriety, therefore ensuring you are fully present during all the great times that are sure to come. And if you need motivation to pursue an alcohol-free season, here are just a few of the benefits of a sober summer: you have no nasty hangovers or withdrawal symptoms, you save tons of money, you can spend more quality time with friends and family, you have more physical and mental energy to enjoy yourself and to devote to your interests, and you look and feel healthier.

How to prepare

Be gentle with yourself

Head into the summer season knowing that your sobriety may be challenged, but that you are strong, capable, and committed to your recovery. Treat yourself with kindness and patience, as you would treat a close friend or loved one. Always stay mindful of your needs and push yourself to speak up if you feel uncomfortable or need support. If an environment or person feels like too much for you, it probably is – trust your intuition and let it guide you to safer pastures.

Maintain connections

Lean on the people you trust and who you know will keep you motivated and on track with your recovery. This includes friends, loved ones, your greater support network, and other sober peers you may have met through 12-step meetings or other recovery services. These individuals can understand your experience better than most and will remind you that you’re not doing this alone.

Be honest with yourself and others

It can alleviate internal stress to acknowledge your worries verbally to someone trusted, or in written form in a journal or diary. If you receive an invite to a summer gathering and you feel conflicted or aren’t sure how to handle it, speak to a loved one, addiction coach, counsellor, or whoever else feels safe to you. If you experience urges to drink, let someone know. You are never a burden and you are never obligated to act in a way that pleases others but not yourself.

How to handle social situations

Entering a social situation, especially after such a long period without much socialization, can be overwhelming and intimidating – even more so as a sober individual. If you’re set on attending an event or gathering but need help figuring out best practice strategies for staying sober, here are 10 tips to help:

1. Figure out how you’re going to get there and how you’re going to get home: If possible, it’s usually best to have access to your own method of transportation, so you’re able to leave when you please and don’t have to rely on anyone else’s timeline.

2. Bring a sober or supportive friend: This can help alleviate the social pressure to drink and makes it easier to say no when someone else is there to bolster our confidence. People are less likely to say you have “nothing else to do” when you’re standing and engaging with someone else. You can also keep an eye out for others who aren’t drinking, including other folks in recovery, people who choose not to drink, or pregnant women.

3. Prepare what to say if you’re offered a drink: This is not to say that you owe anyone an explanation or have to share anything about your addiction – it just helps prepare you for what could be an uncomfortable moment if you’re unprepared. Think about what you would feel comfortable saying (e.g., “No thanks, not right now” or “I’m trying to hydrate with water”).

4. Let your sober network know you’re attending: If you’re friend gets distracted or you find yourself needing additional words of encouragement, let a sober peer/sponsor/addiction coach know your plans to go to a social gathering and give them a call if you feel it’s necessary. It can also allow you to take a little break and leave the group of people for a few moments to conduct your call.

5. Keep yourself busy: Standing around and watching other people drink is a recipe for disaster. Keep your body and mind occupied with an engaging conversation, a game of corn hole or cards, building a fire, watching something on TV, etc. Keep drinking out of your sight and therefore out of your mind.

6. Keep a non-alcoholic drink with you: If you’re holding a cup in your hand, you’re less likely to be offered a drink or brought an unsolicited beverage. You can bring your own non-alcoholic favourite from home or bring a large bottle of water to keep you hydrated.

7. Set time limits: While it’s important to have fun and enjoy your time spent with others, it’s also important to periodically check in on yourself and the status of the gathering. The less time you spend in an environment full of temptation, the less likely you are to indulge in “one drink” which can quickly turn into many more. Every 30 minutes or 1 hour, take a second to think about how you’re doing and how the event is progressing. Later in the night if people are getting rowdy or too intoxicated, it may be time to take off.

8. Have an exit strategy prepared: If a sudden urge hits or you begin to feel as though this social environment is no longer good for you and your sobriety, know that it is completely fine to remove yourself from the situation. An exit strategy could be anything that gets you out of the room (e.g., a simple excuse that you forgot you had an appointment or other plans, or that a friend/child needs something).

9. Avoid triggering situations: If you know that you can’t attend an event or gathering without drinking or using, simply don’t go. If the location or people attending trigger memories of using from the past that will complicate your recovery it’s important to be honest with yourself about your willpower and the motivations of those individuals.

10. Plan fun sober activities with friends: There are so many ways to enjoy summer and spend time socializing outdoors without involving alcohol or other drugs. Planning a hike, beach day, bike ride, or road trip will give you a social outlet, something to look forward to, and you will be fully present for all of it.

We hope these tips gave you a new sense of confidence about handling the incoming summer season and maintaining sobriety during social gatherings. It’s also extremely important not to get complacent in recovery, and to make sure that it remains a top priority that you actively work at. Continue the practices that have helped your sobriety throughout the summer, including attending 12-step meetings, writing in your journal, getting enough exercise… whatever strategies work for you, keep them up! And give yourself daily affirmations to maintain your confidence: I am powerful, I am capable, I can do this 💜

Avalon is here to help you all summer long! Click here for our meeting schedule, or check out our other blog posts, our podcast Avalon Recovery Society Radio, or email a Centre for info on volunteering with us or using our counselling services.