The Holiday Survival Promise: How to Protect Your Peace & Feel Proud on January 1st

The holidays can be beautiful — and brutal.

Extra stress, family tension, money worries, and constant alcohol around can all increase relapse risk for people in recovery. If that’s you, you are not weak and you are not broken — the season really is louder and heavier for your nervous system.

This simple Holiday Survival Promise from Today’s Sober Women is your plan on one page. Fill it out, keep it somewhere visible (fridge, journal, bathroom mirror), and let it remind you:

Your peace and your sobriety matter more than anyone else’s expectations.

Download the Holiday Survival Promise (PDF)

Section 1: My Why

1. This holiday season, I’m staying sober for:

• ☐ My health
• ☐ My kids / family
• ☐ My future self
• ☐ My relationship with God / my values
• ☐ Other: ___________________________

In one sentence, my “why” is:

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Section 2: My Top Triggers

2. Three things that usually make holidays hard for me are:

1. ________________________________________
2. ________________________________________
3. ________________________________________

3. These feelings often show up for me:

• ☐ Lonely
• ☐ Left out
• ☐ Angry
• ☐ Overwhelmed
• ☐ Guilty / ashamed
• ☐ Numb

Section 3: My Protection Plan

4. People I feel safest with:

• Name: __________________ | Phone: ______________
• Name: __________________ | Phone: ______________

I promise to reach out to at least one person before and after the hardest events.

5. My boundaries this year:

• I will attend: ____________________________________
• I will not attend: _______________________________
• Earliest time I’ll leave if I feel triggered: _________

My “no” sentence:

“I’m good, thanks,” or
“I don’t drink anymore, but I’m happy to have some water/coffee.”

Write yours:

________________________________________
________________________________________

Section 4: My Coping Skills in the Moment

6. When I feel triggered, I will:

• ☐ Step outside and take 10 deep breaths
• ☐ Go to the bathroom and text/call someone
• ☐ Eat something and drink water
• ☐ Take a short walk
• ☐ Use a grounding tool (5 things I see, 4 I can touch, 3 I can hear, 2 I can smell, 1 I can taste)

My go-to grounding phrase:

“I can feel this and stay sober.”
or
“This feeling will pass; my choice will last.”

Write yours:

________________________________________
________________________________________

Section 5: My Sober Traditions

7. One new sober tradition I’m trying this year is:

• ☐ Morning gratitude list
• ☐ Lighting a candle and saying a prayer
• ☐ Sober coffee with a friend
• ☐ Meeting / online support group
• ☐ Volunteering
• ☐ Other: _______________________________

Section 6: My January 1st Vision

8. When I wake up on January 1st, I want to feel:

• ☐ Clear
• ☐ Proud
• ☐ Relieved
• ☐ Hopeful
• ☐ Peaceful

One sentence I want to be able to say about myself is:

“On the hard days, I still chose my recovery.”

Or write your own:

________________________________________
________________________________________

The Promise

My Holiday Survival Promise

This season, I promise to protect my peace and my sobriety.
I will not sacrifice my future for one night, one person, or one drink.
I will ask for help, use my tools, and leave any situation that puts my recovery at risk.

Signed: _________________________
Date: ___________________________

From Today’s Sober Women: If you filled this out, you just did something brave for yourself. Keep it close. Read it on the loud days. You deserve to wake up on January 1st clear, safe, and proud of the woman you’re becoming. 🫶