10 Ways to Stay Sober While Traveling

10 Ways to Stay Sober While Traveling

Traveling is one of the best activities to do for former alcoholics who are on their way to recovery. However, the temptation of visiting a bar during your travels can spell trouble and may delay your recovery. What’s worse is that it can even bring back your old drinking habits, and may even cause trouble along the way. You may wake up with all your stuff gone. We are not scaring you; we are giving you a realistic possibility on what may happen if your alcoholism kicks in during your travels.

That’s why you should learn what are the best things and tips to do in order to stay completely sober as you go out of town:

Keep a Busy Trip

Your trip should be composed of a lot of destinations to travel to. This is way better as it may cost less than going to some bar on your destination just to go binge drinking. That’s why you should fully book your schedule with many activities to do so then you won’t even think about drinking as you take a tour around a city or a small town. You can go ahead and book a schedule for a psychotherapist to make better alcohol-free plans in the area that you’re visiting. Just be sure to prepare extra money if you want professional help before starting your travels.

Avoid Any Sign That May Induce Drinking

Never visit or even look at the district on your destination that may have all the bars installed. Be sure to never plot or plan to pass by on a street that may induce drinking at all as these can spark your former interest in drinking. This also helps you stay away from the wrong set of people who may just kick your addiction back into your system.

Build Contacts

One of the best things to do when traveling sober is to get to know people. Just be sure that you know for yourself that you’re not getting involved in some community of alcoholics or party-people. Be sure to make contacts with people who belong in religious groups (depending on your religion), or you can visit a recovery center in your destination to meet former alcoholics and those who are also recovering like you. This builds better relationships as you both have a problem that you can deal with as a team this time while getting to know each other. These may get you involved in community works and for a fun time drinking coffee or eating somewhere else with them as they guide you throughout the place.

Meditate

You can go ahead and pray depending on your belief, or you can just meditate on your hotel room as you wake up in the morning. If this is a routine that’s advised to you in rehab or by the doctor, be sure to continue the activities advised to you even when you travel. Traveling will consist of a lot of idle time even if you schedule a lot of places to visit.

Bring Self-Help Books or Podcasts

You can download recordings over the internet if you want something motivational when keeping your alcoholism in check. If you prefer books to be read on someplace quiet. You can bring a self-help or alcoholism recovery book and bring it to a silent place at some mountain or historical site/park. It gives you a peace of mind while reflecting for your own good.

Control Your Mood

Be sure to remember what your doctor told you about alcoholism: any negative mood change may trigger your addiction again. That’s why if you feel frustrated during your travel, then start calming down. You should keep in touch with friends if you feel lonely, go to sleep instead if you’re tired, and be sure to eat right away when hungry. When hungry, eating a lot is just perfect for traveling. After all, traveling is never complete without food.

Always Keep in Touch

You will feel lonely or homesick when you’re away from your hometown. That’s why it’s best to always keep in touch with your friends instead. This helps you socialize with them or receive updates about every one you miss so then you won’t have to spend time at the bar.

Hotel Cleanup

This tip simple involves you to ask the hotel staff to get all of the bottles of beer and other booze removed. Simply call the staff to clear out all of those on the fridge to ensure that your addiction won’t kick in one again. Any presence of alcohol is terrible for those who are trying their best to become sober as it can cause alcoholics to drink impulsively.

Visit a Relative if There Are Any

This is just an optional tip at most times, but visiting a family member is the best when you travel. This doesn’t just give you a free tour guide who can spend a lot of time having fun with you. They will also become your best companion so then you can keep yourself sober. You can even tell them about it and ask for some advice to divert your attention from drinking.

Going Online Is the Best

Nowadays, our smartphones can be our sole travel buddies who can guide us to almost everywhere we may wish to go. Besides from map apps and travel guides online, you can visit online therapists who can give you further assistance when you travel sober.

These are the best tips that you should always follow if you really want to get your alcoholism under control as you visit someplace that’s far from your doctor, the rehab center or from your family and friends who care for you so much. Remember that there are times where “it’s just all in the mind” and what you only need is to strengthen your control over your own thoughts over alcohol and drinking itself.