Additionally, different kinds of vacations lend themselves to being sober vacations like hiking or trekking trips, and meditation, wellness or yoga retreats. There are also sober resorts in Mexico and sober cruises to different locations all over the world. Sober tourism is an increasingly booming business, and sober traveling companies are becoming more abundant. Let’s face it—maintaining a healthy, nutritious diet isn’t always the first thing on our minds when embarking on a road trip, but maintaining your self-care practices should still be a top priority. These things will all help you stay alert, healthy, and focused while you enjoy your trip. Some destinations you may want to avoid your sober summer vacation are areas well known for their party culture such as Las Vegas, Cancun, and Amsterdam.

• Perhaps your boundary is that you need your co-vacationers to refrain from offering you a drink or a drug.
• If recovery meetings aren’t meeting in person, you can find a recovery meeting online multiple times during the day, from any device.
• Regardless of the stage of recovery you’re in, certain situations can present some challenges – such as planning a vacation.
• She holds an MA in Communication Studies from New Mexico State University.
• Sitting for long periods in the car or on a plane can be hard on the body.

Make a plan.

• If you need to have a minibar removed from your room or ask your companions not to drink or use substances while you’re together, don’t be afraid to do those things.
• The key to vacationing sober means making your recovery the first priority.
• Instead of planning a trip that’s focused on the bar and party scene, why not take advantage of the great outdoors instead?
• You can still leave room for those unexpected moments of fun in your travel plans.
• If you are planning a vacation that includes people from your past, then think carefully about whether they could pose a risk to your sobriety.

Additionally, call ahead to the hotel and ask that they remove the alcohol from the minibar. Know when and how to leave a situation that challenges your sobriety and have your own key to the place you’re staying. Hooked, founded in 2021, offers alcohol-free travel that’s meant to inspire self-discovery through healthy hands-on experiences. From domestic destinations like Nashville to international adventures in Mexico, Canada, Tanzania, Morocco, and Iceland, Hooked provides daily itineraries for each of the places they explore. Having support when you’re away from your home base is important, and even if you’re traveling with loved ones, it’s good to have other people in recovery who can help you if you’re feeling tempted.

What Are Vacation Triggers?

You’ve come a long way — take some time to reward and pamper yourself. View each small step or accomplished goal as an achieved victory and congratulate yourself for a job well done — and invite others to join in. Continually acknowledging the strides you are making is a great way to reinforce better habits. Feeling overwhelmed trying to plan out your entire vacation when all you want to do is relax?

Check Your Recovery

However difficult it may be, it’s important to maintain as much of your regular schedule as possible. Instead of spending your money on a night out, treat yourself to a massage, steam room, or other https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/how-art-therapy-can-help-in-addiction-recovery/ spa service or do another self-care activity you enjoy. Additionally, Carnival and Norwegian cruise lines offer a full range of adult alcohol-free beverages aboard most ships. Hyatt’s Zero Proof, Zero Judgement program, which it rolled out in several of its properties in 2021, uses alcohol-free spirit alternatives, mixers, and seasonal ingredients to create innovative drinks. Besides tour operators, conventional hotels and resorts are now incorporating nonalcoholic beverage programs into their offerings. If you are still experiencing a fair amount of anxiety and uneasiness, a vacation might actually slow your recovery efforts or lead to a setback.

Although it sounds cheesy, a sense of humor can also be a great stress management tool. Laughter reduces stress, boosts endorphins, and allows you to recenter. If you can put some space between yourself and your triggers, you can move forward with more awareness. Discreet, flexible, and 100% online—Workit 90 is a recovery program that fits your life, giving you the tools you need to cut back or quit drinking. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information.

Best Sober Vacation Destinations

• Recovery can open up new possibilities and opportunities, especially while traveling.
• If you can put some space between yourself and your triggers, you can move forward with more awareness.
• While sober travel seems to be all the buzz right now, it’s not new—and it’s not necessarily just for people in recovery.
• Additionally, Carnival and Norwegian cruise lines offer a full range of adult alcohol-free beverages aboard most ships.
• We provide several alumni support communities, including a weekly recovery support group, monthly alumni meeting, and online alumni community you can access anytime.
• Maybe that’s a journal, a meditation book or app, a sober counter, a scented candle, or a cooler filled with alcohol-free beverages.
• Most large organizations have a worldwide presence, or there’s always the option to attend a virtual meeting.

It’s always a good idea to let those in your support network know you will be traveling and may be in need of some extra support. Not only does this make it easier for you to pick up the phone when in need, doing so gives them the opportunity to check in on you and offer their encouragement. We all have triggers, even those of us who have been in recovery for years. Hopefully, you’ve identified some of your triggers and have developed some skills to deal with them if vacationing in recovery they pop up.