So, it’s your first trip in recovery. You’ve worked hard in your rehab clinic to go through withdrawal and get on a pathway of sobriety. You’ve booked your first trip away since, maybe even a holiday of a lifetime, but all you can think about is staying sober.

It can be difficult travelling for the first time having recently got sober. Alcohol can be part of the travel routine, whether it be to steady the nerves at the airport or enjoying a tipple or two on the first evening.

That’s all now changed, but those trigger points are still there. So, how do you cope? Well, here are five top tips…

Know your trigger points

Firstly, knowing your trigger points can be absolutely vital to staying on track while you’re away from home. Before you go, identify a number of things. Firstly, identify the areas where you normally do drink on holiday, that might be the airport, during evenings and so on.

Secondly, identify the stress points you usually find on holiday, which may potentially lead to you wanting a drink. Stress is one of the main causes of relapse, so it’s imperative that no unexpected stress comes and bites you.

Stress is inevitable on holiday at certain points though, so it’s having the techniques to manage and ease that stress. Alongside this, make a plan for the periods where you may usually be drinking alcohol. In the airport, for example, go to a coffee shop rather than the airport bar.

Stay connected to your support network

Don’t lose contact with your support network while you’re away. They can be the bedrock of your sobriety success. They will be there if you need them at any point, while it may be useful for you to have certain periods of the day where you check in each day, perhaps over a Zoom call.

This could be a set 5pm call, perhaps just before you head out for dinner, keeping you on track to avoid alcohol during the trickier evening period.

Keep the important parts of your routine

To help you stay on track at home, it’s very likely that you’ll have a set routine that you work through each day. That may be a healthy breakfast in the morning, followed by half an hour of yoga and so on.

The unfamiliar is a big trigger point for relapse, so keep those important parts of your routine in your life, even when you’re away from home. So, if yoga is a big part of your daily routine, ensure you still do your exercises before you head out for a day of tourism.

Pack your mornings

By jam-packing your mornings, you’ll be up and ready to do things each day. There are a number of reasons why this is important. Firstly, by having to get up early, you’ll remove the temptation of staying up late and potentially drinking.

Additionally, jam-packing your day will leave you relatively tired in the evening so you’ll be quite content in getting an early night, having had a fantastic day and enjoying another positive day, sober.