10 Ways to Make Thanksgiving Less Stressful

Editorial Staff avatar
Written by: Editorial Staff
Published: Oct 10, 2017
Updated: Apr 24, 2024

Thanksgiving can and should be a time of relaxation, family, and some well-deserved time off. However, if you are the one providing that wonderful day of relaxation for everyone in your family, if you are new to recovery and facing a tense Thanksgiving dinner with family, or if you have no destination in mind whatsoever, Thanksgiving can cause stress rather than relieve it.

Here are 10 ways to minimize Thanksgiving stress and use the holiday to fortify your recovery rather than put it at risk:

  1. Ask for help. If you are preparing the Thanksgiving meal, ask your family members or friends to assist you. If you are headed to a family member’s house and you are concerned that it will be emotionally difficult, ask a sober friend to accompany you. If you have nowhere to go and it is triggering feelings of stress and loneliness, ask your sober community for suggestions on where and how to spend Thanksgiving Day.
10 Ways to Make Thanksgiving Less Stressful
  1. Simplify. Do you have a plan to head to four different houses on Thanksgiving, prepare a six-course meal, or host a few dozen people at your house? Trim it back. Visit with one or two people on Thanksgiving Day and make plans to visit with others over the rest of the weekend. Offer to make the turkey and ask others to bring side dishes or desserts. If it’s too late to cut down the guest list, ask everyone to bring some nonalcoholic beverages and an appetizer to contribute so you are not tasked with too much prep for entertaining. Then, ask a few people to stay behind and help you clean up.
  1. Think it through. For many people, stress arises on Thanksgiving when last-minute issues arise, many of which can be prevented with a little advance planning. For example, if you are making dinner, you can make a grocery list and buy everything you need in advance, avoiding the last-minute, panicked rush to the store that takes hours. If you are headed to a friend or family member’s house, you can think through what this will look like in advance and determine when you should arrive, how long you should stay, and what you will need to feel safe and stay sober while you are there.
  1. Say “no.” If you are invited somewhere that you feel may not be a good place for you emotionally or physically, turn down the invitation – even if it is your parent’s house or one of your best friends. If someone asks if they can bring someone with them to your house for Thanksgiving and you are uncomfortable with that person or someone else at the table may be, or you are uncertain you will have enough to accommodate them, say “no.”
  1. Eat healthfully. Even if you eat nothing but mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Day itself, make sure that leading up to the holiday you are continuing to eat as healthfully as possible. This will help you to feel more balanced, calm, and better prepared to handle whatever comes your way.
  1. Get a good night’s sleep. In fact, spend the weeks before Thanksgiving Day going to bed at the same time each night and getting up at the same time every morning, giving yourself a solid foundation of restorative sleep to help you manage your emotions and feel more “even keel” on Thanksgiving Day.
  1. Keep working out. Just like eating well and getting good sleep, it is a good idea to keep up your regular workouts. They can help you to relieve stress in the moment, as it’s never a bad time to go for a walk and get some fresh air. They can also help you to sleep better and feel better overall.
  1. Keep up with your recovery. It is a good idea to make sure you are still getting to 12-Step meetings and engaging in holistic treatments even if your usual therapy sessions or doctors’ appointments are canceled.
  1. Have people you can call. Though many people will be out of town or spending time with family over the Thanksgiving holiday, many will be willing to make themselves available to you via text or email. Connect with people in advance of the long weekend so if you find yourself facing extreme stressors, they are ready to take your call.
  1. Forget the whole thing. No matter what you have on the agenda for Thanksgiving, if it is causing you stress and triggering cravings for drugs and alcohol, cancel it. There is nothing worth putting your sobriety at risk.

How will you decrease stress and stay sober this Thanksgiving?
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