Mocktails at parties and awe walks on beaches, family dinners where nobody preaches,12-step meetings when traveling – these are a few of our favorite things. (Sung to the tune of My Favorite Things with apologies to Rodgers and Hammerstein.)...
Take the lead with family and friends and suggest sober activities outdoors!
Mocktails at parties and awe walks on beaches, family dinners where nobody preaches,12-step meetings when traveling – these are a few of our favorite things. (Sung to the tune of My Favorite Things with apologies to Rodgers and Hammerstein.) We are in the thick of Spirit Week at Sanford Behavioral Health, and we have assembled a few of our favorite suggestions for your holiday peace of mind and recovery. Take a break from the festivities to care for yourself. Families push buttons, especially when new to recovery, but never fear. We’ve got your back with four tips on how to navigate the holidays with grace (and your recovery intact).
Our Favorite Things to Maintain Recovery During the Holidays
1. Your Uncle Bob is manning the bar and asks, “What would you like to drink?” You say, “A mistletoe martini, please.”
Alcohol-Free Mocktails from the Sanford Kitchen
It’s party time, and drinking alcohol-free mocktails can seem antisocial to someone new to recovery or practicing an alcohol-free lifestyle. After all, it is rare to attend a holiday gathering without the omnipresent open bar. [Read more…]
2. You are new to recovery from an eating disorder, and your family traditions include triggering foods and activities!
How to Navigate Your Eating Disorder at Family Gatherings with Dr. Anna Flores
A challenge for Sanford Behavioral Health clients with eating disorders is that family can be a big part of the holidays. They may have strained relationships with their family members, or they have family members who are toxic to their recovery. Or even family members with disordered eating or eating disorders whose relationship with food is not conducive to recovery….there is a lot of pressure and feelings during the holiday season or whenever families gather. [Read more...]
3. Looking for a bit of solitude to clear your mind? Take an awe walk and come back to the fray feeling refreshed!
Awe Walks for Mental Health
Awe takes your breath away and makes you feel small but also part of the vast and unexplainable universe. When you go for an awe walk, you stroll and intentionally focus outward instead of inward. Experiencing awe is good for the soul. Humbled by the vastness, united with all God’s creatures, and strengthened by the connection to the wonders in the world we live in. [Read more…]
4. Everybody is sitting around and watching TV or scrolling on their phones. Take the lead with family and friends and make suggestions for activities outdoors, contests, or favorite things that occupy body and mind.
101 Things to Do to Beat the Winter Blues
Are you feeling the winter blues? There are many wonderful things about living in Greater Grand Rapids, Michigan. But, and there is a but, the winters are long. Many of the awesome things to do are currently buried beneath a crazy quilt of variations on the color white. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a real issue when the days are short, and the sky is gray. [Read more…]
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction, eating disorders, or co-occurring mental health conditions, don’t wait to change your life – click the link below to speak with an admissions specialist.
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