The pressure of the holiday season can put a strain on your recovery. One way to remain on sober ground is to give back to your community with your resources and time.
The Four Most Rewarding Holiday Gifts
The most rewarding gift you can give is the ones you offer to people who have nothing. They will often express more gratitude for the help than a person who seems to have it all. Sometimes, it’s as simple as saying a kind word, but you can also try offering one of these four sources of help.
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1. Start a support group at a shelter.
If you’ve been sober for a while, you can be an inspiration to others. You can either start a 12-step recovery group, a general support group, or a hybrid of the two. A homeless or domestic violence shelter might offer you space for this. If you do this for people, it might become one of the best “hands up” from terrible circumstances that you can give.
2. Participate in disaster or food drives.
Make it local, national or global, depending on your vision. Perhaps start small with collecting food for the seniors who live on your block or join forces with Red Cross teams. You could even coordinate the delivery of food and clothing packages to people who lost their homes to fire, hurricanes, tornadoes and more.
If you feel like traveling, assisting with disaster aid while on your holiday vacation could impact others. However, you don’t have to travel that far to find people in need.
3. Practice other awareness when on errands.
Sometimes, we become so wrapped up in trying to impress our family, friends and neighbors – and maybe our bosses – that we forget about the world around us. When you’re out running errands, you perhaps will see someone stalled on the side of the road or a puppy stuck out in the cold—assisting in these individual situations matters just as much as hosting large-scale volunteer events.
4. Invite an elderly person over for dinner.
You can do this whether single or married, but it especially would bless both you and another person who also is alone if you’re currently not in a relationship. It will keep you, and the other person occupied, and it will help you feel less inclined to drink or use drugs again. You don’t need the party crowd to fill up your time during the holidays.
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If you plan to start a recovery meeting for people in your neighborhood or at a shelter, check on My 12 Step Store. You’ll find all the inspiration and encouragement people need to become sober.