Our Collective Journey

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us at OCJ! Thank you to everyone who shared their advice on how to navigate the holidays in sobriety. Your bravery and candor could mean all the difference for people in recovery.

For anyone spending their first holidays sober:

“You don’t have to survive the holidays. You just have to stay sober today.”

“This season is temporary. Your recovery is not.”

“Cravings are loud — but they are not commands.”

“It’s okay if the holidays don’t feel joyful yet. Safety comes first.”

“Leaving early isn’t failure. It’s protecting your recovery.”

“You can miss who you were without going back to being them.”

“If all you did today was stay sober, you did enough.”

“One sober holiday at a time — this is how new traditions begin.”

“The best way to start the New Year is waking up sober on January 1.”

“This is hard because you’re doing something brave.”

If this is your first sober Christmas or New Year’s, you’re not alone — and you’re doing something incredibly important.

If you do need help over the holidays, reach out to us or access any of our community partners from the post below.

The holidays are often painted as a time of joy and togetherness, but for many people navigating mental health challenges or living in recovery, this season can feel heavy, isolating, and overwhelming.

Changes in routine, family dynamics, financial pressure, grief, and the presence of alcohol or substances can intensify cravings and emotional distress. In an abstinence-based recovery journey, these moments can feel especially challenging and they are not a sign of weakness. They are a reminder that recovery is a daily practice, not a destination.

If the holidays are feeling hard, please know this: you do not have to carry it alone. Reaching out for support is an act of strength. Whether that means leaning on a trusted person, accessing professional help, or connecting with a recovery-focused community, support can make all the difference.

Our Collective Journey is here to walk alongside you, offering compassionate, recovery-focused support rooted in connection, accountability, and hope. You deserve care, stability, and understanding, especially during this season.

Additional community support resources are included in the graphic attached. Please use them if you need support today.

Learn more or reach out at www.ourcollectivejourney.ca

You are not alone. 🤍 Recovery continues even through the holidays.

12/23/2025

Have you tackled the experience of your first sober holiday season? We need your help!

For many people, this Christmas and New Year’s will be their first holidays in sobriety.

That can come with a mix of emotions—pride, anxiety, grief, hope, and uncertainty—all at once. Traditions may feel different. Social settings may feel harder to navigate. And sometimes, just getting through the day can feel like a victory.

If you’ve been there before, your experience matters.

We invite those in recovery, allies, family members, and professionals to share one piece of advice that helped you get through the holidays while protecting your mental health and sobriety.

It could be a boundary you set, a mindset shift, a routine you relied on, or a reminder you kept close.

Your words may be exactly what someone needs to read right now.

Let’s show those spending their first holiday season sober that they are not alone—and that this season is survivable, one choice and one connection at a time.

Drop your words of wisdom in the comments!

12/20/2025

We are so grateful to the Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta and our incredible philanthropic community members for their support of this program!

We can’t wait to share more about Youth Resilience Through Art and Motion with you!

We’re proud to support Our Collective Journey with $13,625 for their project, Youth Resilience Through Art and Motion.

The project offers two unique six-week streams, "Rolling Through It - A Resilience Program for Youth Inspired by Skateboarding" and "Resilient by Design - A Youth Resilience Program Through Art." Both are registered programs starting in the new year. These streams will help to build confidence, resilience, and a sense of belonging while supporting mental health and creative expression.

Our Collective Journey

12/14/2025

The holidays are often painted as a time of joy and togetherness, but for many people navigating mental health challenges or living in recovery, this season can feel heavy, isolating, and overwhelming.

Changes in routine, family dynamics, financial pressure, grief, and the presence of alcohol or substances can intensify cravings and emotional distress. In an abstinence-based recovery journey, these moments can feel especially challenging and they are not a sign of weakness. They are a reminder that recovery is a daily practice, not a destination.

If the holidays are feeling hard, please know this: you do not have to carry it alone. Reaching out for support is an act of strength. Whether that means leaning on a trusted person, accessing professional help, or connecting with a recovery-focused community, support can make all the difference.

Our Collective Journey is here to walk alongside you, offering compassionate, recovery-focused support rooted in connection, accountability, and hope. You deserve care, stability, and understanding, especially during this season.

Additional community support resources are included in the graphic attached. Please use them if you need support today.

Learn more or reach out at www.ourcollectivejourney.ca

You are not alone. 🤍 Recovery continues even through the holidays.

12/12/2025

An amazing conference AND 12 hours of continuing education credits? Yes, please! Check out the post for more info!

12/08/2025

Every young person could use a coach in their corner- and we have just the ticket! Youth 11-25 can check out Coach’s Corner with Coach Derrick at Kickstand Medicine Hat from 3-6 PM Monday to Friday!

Please note, Kickstand will be closed Dec. 24, Dec. 25, Dec. 26, Jan. 1, and Jan. 2 so staff can have a break for the holidays. 😊

in store for you this week.

From a confidence building session on Monday to Graham Cracker Holiday House building Thursday, and Game Hub Friday. Kickstand offers experiences that are diverse and fun. Just like you!

12/06/2025

We have something *special* in store for you at SARRCon ‘26 with one of our incredible keynote speakers, Jill Drader.

Check it out to learn more! 👇

12/05/2025

What looks like a simple craft is actually so much more. It’s part of a space where resilience is built through connection, conversation, and showing up for one another.

Twice each month, our OCJ Resiliency Coaches join the youth at the Y Corner by YMCA of Southeastern Alberta to do exactly that.

These sessions are youth-led from start to finish. Our coaches support presentations, hold space for honest and open conversations, and create an environment where every young person feels seen and heard. Depending on the group size and what the youth need that day, we adapt! Sometimes it’s hands-on crafts, sometimes it’s structured activities, and sometimes it’s simply hanging out and being together.

The goal is always the same: to empower youth to lead, to foster resilience in real time, and to build community through meaningful connection.

If you know a young person who would benefit from a supportive, welcoming space like this, we encourage you to learn more about the Y Corner sessions. Together, we can help the next generation grow in strength, confidence, and resilience.

Our next session is December 16 at 4 PM at the Y Corner, located at the Downtown YMCA. No registration required- just show up!

12/04/2025

Have you heard of OCJ’s Kindness Project?

The U15 Medicine Hat Wildcats T1 joined members of Our Collective Journey to create Birthday Cake Kits at the Root Cellar Food and Wellness Hub, our community’s Food Centre. These kits will be gifted to Root Cellar clients so families can celebrate birthdays with dignity, joy, and a sense of togetherness.

Alongside this kindness project, Wildcats players also participated in an OCJ resilience workshop focused on growth, connection, and the power of giving back. Together, we explored how meaningful acts of kindness strengthen personal resilience, build community bonds, and help young people see the difference they can make.

Projects like this matter. They remind us that resilience is not built alone. It grows when people come together, support one another, and create moments of hope for those who need it most.

If your team, workplace, or organization would like to take part in a kindness project or book an OCJ resilience workshop, reach out to us today. We would love to help you create a meaningful experience that strengthens your group and our community.

11/27/2025

We have very exiting news! Our Collective Journey is excited to announce the Emcee for the upcoming Southern Alberta Regional Recovery Conference conference, Trevor Moore.

As a mental health speaker and resiliency coach himself, Trevor’s mission is to help ambitious leaders reclaim their energy and focus by quieting their inner critic, staying grounded under pressure, and taking consistent action without burnout.

Trevor has appeared on our podcast not once, but twice! You can check out the most recent episode with Trevor, and learn more about his own personal journey by having a listen at the link below or on your favourite podcast streaming platform.

Trevor’s work helps, build sustainable habits, deep confidence, and real resilience, and we look forward to him, bringing his expertise to all of us at SARRCon. Please help us welcome Mr. Trevor Moore.

Have a listen to Trevor Moore’s episode of From Darkness to Life here: https://www.ourcollectivejourney.ca/podcast/from-surviving-to-thriving

11/21/2025

Looking for an inspiring listen this weekend? Check out our newest podcast drop with Kori Leigh.

In this episode of 'From Darkness to Life,' guest Kori Lee shares her inspirational story of overcoming addiction and rebuilding her life. Kori, a globally ranked podcast host, business coach, spiritual mentor, and sobriety warrior, discusses her journey from hitting rock bottom in 2016 to finding sobriety, faith, and helping millions around the world.

Kori emphasizes the importance of habit stacking, daily spiritual practices, and fitness in maintaining sobriety. She shares her top non-negotiables for a powerful life and how she has given her daughter a gift by raising her in a sober environment. The episode highlights the importance of faith, self-care, and prioritizing recovery in creating a fulfilling life.

Check out this episode at the link in the comments, or on your favourite podcast platform.

Listeners are encouraged to connect with Kori through her website, Korileigh.com, and Instagram, .

For more resources on mental health and addiction recovery, visit ourcollectivejourney.ca

NOTE: Guest's audio has been digitally enhanced for clarity.

11/18/2025

We vote for Derrick, but we might be biased. What’s your vote?

Who wore it best? Derrick or Grapes?

Be sure to drop in to Kickstand any weekday from 3-6PM for a resiliency coaching session with Derrick from Our Collective Journey .

He doesn’t always dress like this, we promise! See you soon. And in the meantime, keep your head up in the corners!