Last Updated on June 7, 2025

The holidays are filled with joy and connection—and, potentially, drinking triggers. If mindful drinking is your priority, this time of year often puts your intentions to the test. Family dynamics, work parties, decades-old traditions involving eggnog and nostalgia… It’s easy to feel like drinking is the default.

But it doesn’t need to be. By understanding your triggers, following a few holiday drinking tips, and planning ahead, you can navigate the holidays with intention. You might even enjoy the season more fully. Read: no hangovers.

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What Are Holiday Drinking Triggers?

A trigger is anything that makes you feel like, “I need a drink right now.” During the holidays, they’re everywhere:

• Walking into a party where drinks are immediately offered
  
• Traveling and facing long waits in crowded airports or family homes
  
• Sitting through stressful dinners or conversations
  
• Trying to recreate joy and connection the way you used to—by pouring a drink
  

Some triggers are rooted in stress, others in celebration. Many are habits: the holiday toast, the cocktail party martini, the glass of wine with dinner, the wind-down drink after hosting. Recognizing these moments for what they are—cues that you’ve associated with alcohol, but that aren’t inherently tied to alcohol—can help you respond differently.

Why Do Triggers Feel So Powerful?

Blame your brain chemistry. When you’re stressed, your brain looks for quick relief, and alcohol releases dopamine, a feel-good chemical that provides a temporary sense of pleasure.

The problem? That dopamine rush is short-lived. The next day, alcohol can increase anxiety, disrupt sleep, and leave you feeling worse. But in the moment, your brain doesn’t care about the long-term. It just wants relief.

That’s why it’s so important to plan for triggers ahead of time, so you’re not caught off guard and reactive.

5 Holiday Drinking Trigger Management Methods

1. Name the Trigger

Before reacting, ask yourself: What am I really feeling? Is it stress? Boredom? Social pressure? Naming your trigger puts you back in control, shifting your focus from an automatic to a conscious response.

2. Have a Replacement Plan

Create a go-to alternative for your typical drinking behavior. For example:

• If you drink to relieve stress: Try box breathing or a quick meditation break.
  
• If you drink to fit in: Bring your own soda or mocktail. If you want, you can even drink it from a cocktail or wine glass.
  
• If you drink out of boredom: Strike up a conversation with Grandma or offer to help in the kitchen.
  

3. Set Boundaries Around Events

Not every holiday gathering is worth the emotional or mental drain. It’s okay to decline events that feel overwhelming. 

If you can’t opt out, consider:

• Arriving late or leaving early to avoid peak drinking times
  
• Bringing a sober buddy or letting a trusted friend know your goals
  
• Having a pre-planned response ready for drink offers (“I’m pacing myself tonight” works wonders)
  

4. Ride Out the Craving

Cravings are temporary: They often peak within 15-20 minutes and then fade. Instead of giving in, practice “urge surfing.” Visualize the craving as a wave—rising, cresting, and eventually breaking. Just ride it out.

If you need a distraction in the meantime, try:

• Going for a walk
  
• Excusing yourself to another room to read or play a game on your phone
  
• Checking in on the Sunnyside app to log how you’re feeling
  

Every craving you move through without drinking strengthens your resilience.

5. Reflect and Reset

Not every holiday moment will go as planned. If you do drink more than intended, skip the guilt spiral. Instead, ask yourself:

• What triggered me?
  
• How did I respond?
  
• What can I try differently next time?
  

Mindful drinking is a journey, not a test you pass or fail. Every experience is information you can use to build healthier habits in the future.

Make the Holidays Meaningful, Not Just Manageable

The truth is, when you shift your focus from avoiding alcohol to creating connection, intention, and joy, the holidays take on a new richness. You remember more. You sleep better. You feel proud of yourself, not because you avoided a drink, but because you honored your deeper goals.

So, whether you’re just getting started or have been on this path for a while, remember: holiday drinking triggers are normal. But they don’t have to dictate your choices.

Get started on your mindful drinking journey with a 15-day free trial of Sunnyside.

What is Sunnyside?

Sunnyside is a mindful drinking and alcohol moderation app that can help change your habits around alcohol using a proven, science-backed method. Whether you want to become a more mindful drinker, drink less, or eventually quit drinking, Sunnyside can help you reach your goals. We take a positive, friendly approach to habit change, so you never feel judged or pressured to quit.

When you join Sunnyside, you’ll start by completing a 3-minute private assessment so we can learn a bit about you. Once that’s done, you’ll get a 15-day free trial to test out everything, including our daily habit change tools, tracking and analytics, community and coaching, and education and resources. It’s a full package designed specifically to adapt to your goals and help you reach them gradually, so you can make a huge impact on your health and well-being.

Sunnyside is a digital habit and behavior-change program that is incredibly effective on its own, but can also be the perfect complement to other work you’re doing to cut down on drinking, whether that includes talk therapy or medication such as Naltrexone.

Get your 15-day free trial of Sunnyside today, and start living your healthiest life.