The winter holidays can be challenging for many of our patients in residential recovery for alcoholism and substance abuse. A time of designated gift-giving, merriment, family time, and cozy atmospheres can bring with it triggers, stress, seasonal affective disorder symptoms (SAD), and relapse episodes. It can also be a time of profound reflection, reset, and rebirth.
By the time the excess of the holidays end, many people are ready for change. Cue the timeless—if not cliched—entrance of New Year’s resolutions! For some, making resolutions for the new year can be an exciting practice. For others, it’s a tired and pointless endeavor. After all, who actually keeps their New Year resolutions?
Funnily enough—the ancient Babylonians, Romans, and early Christians did. And they did so with intention, good faith, and optimism. We’ll dive into how each group of people and their unique cultures approached their goals for the new year.
No matter your belief system, everyone can find meaning and motivation in reflection, accountability, and the desire to be a better version of yourself than you were in the past.
The Sober Celebration of New Year’s Resolutions You Didn’t Know About
The ancient Babylonians lived more than 4,000 years ago, and they created what historians often refer to as the forerunner of New Year’s resolutions. When their new year rolled around in March, they customarily made promises to their gods to pay debts and return borrowed items. The Babylonians figured this would place them in divine good graces, ensuring a favorable future.
Later, the Romans under Julius Caesar would base their resolutions around Janus, a two-faced god who simultaneously looked to the past and future. An inhabitant of doors and archways, Janus represented new beginnings and new doors of opportunity to be opened with wisdom from past experience. To open new doors for themselves, the Romans promised Janus good behavior.
For early Christians in the mid-1700s, things get interesting.
They used the turning of the New Year to reflect on past mistakes and atone for sins. The founder of Methodism created watch night services that took place on New Year’s Eve. Officially, the Methodists referred to a watch night service as the Covenant Renewal Service. These became a night of worship, scriptural study, a group effort to identify personal shortcomings, and a plan of action for improving them. The tradition was an alternative to a night of celebratory drinking and letting loose that both secular and religious people participated in.
While everyone is entitled to their own beliefs and traditions—one element of watch night services stands out: the balance of accountability and personal growth with the support of a united community.
Our modern-day culture tends to celebrate New Year’s Eve with drinking, substances, and parties. Yet the methodists and other Christian denominations suggest there’s worth, joy, and fulfillment in creating sober New Year’s resolutions in a substance-free environment. You don’t have to be religious to do the same for yourself.
A History Lesson in Setting Sustainable New Year’s Goals in Recovery
What we can take from the Babylonians, Romans, and Christians for setting sustainable New Year’s resolutions is threefold:
- The Babylonians show us that early resolutions began as promises to deities. Aligning your recovery goals to your personal, secular, religious, spiritual, or moral framework may provide deeper meaning and accountability than simply making promises to yourself or others.
- The Romans teach us that acknowledging past struggles while maintaining hope, optimism, and a plan for the future is crucial for sustainable goals.
- The Christians demonstrate that community support can help hold individuals to their goals.
The truth is that most people make New Year’s resolutions but fail to keep them. If you’re in addiction recovery, the most important resolution you can make is to stay sober. But don’t feel like a failure if this resolution doesn’t hold. Many people enter residential or outpatient treatment for substance abuse relapse, especially during the first year of recovery. Relapse is simply a sign that you need to return to treatment and re-evaluate your recovery plan.
That’s why St. Joseph Institute offers relapse prevention services, addiction education, and many personalized programs to support you and your loved ones as you navigate a new beginning. Contact us in Port Matilda, Pennsylvania, today!
