On Super Bowl Sunday many families and friends will be gathered around the screen all over the world. After all, it is an eventful day to watch a historical game of football. With that said, it is also likely that Super Bowl watchers will catch a racy halftime show and over sexualized commercials that objectify women and cheapen the gift of sex. These messages are damaging and lust-inducing to say the least. All of this can pose a threat to those who are seeking sexual sobriety.

You may be asking, “How can I protect my family and friends against sexually suggestive or otherwise inappropriate content during the big game?” (Or any day for that matter.) Here are some Super Bowl safety tips to consider.

• Bounce your eyes: When something inappropriate or triggering come into your line of sight bounce your eyes to something else. Consider having a “safe object” on the other side of the room to focus on.

• Find a “back up channel”: Have the remote handy, and when the commercials come on, go to a channel that you have already designated as being safe.

• Don’t watch commercials (or the halftime show): Have a board game or puzzle ready to pass the time and guess when the game comes back on. Consider setting a timer and going for a walk or completing a project during halftime. You can expect this Sunday’s halftime show to take around 30-35 minutes. You can accomplish a lot in that time.

• TiVo to the rescue: To avoid any awkward moments, consider recording the game and watching it later. A DVR gives you the option to skip all the nonsense.

• Be relational: If the game presents challenges for you, talk to someone about it. Connect with a supportive and understanding person or sponsor before, during and after the game. You can do this via phone or face-to-face. Discuss your plan to keep yourself safe and sober during the game. Discuss your feelings about the experience and how successful you were at the plan. Use this as an opportunity to be transparent and open for connection. The opposite of addiction is connection – so sobriety depends on it!

• Just don’t watch: Don’t feel like you have to watch the Super Bowl! A football game is supposed to be 60 minutes of play broken into four 15-minute quarters. The average NFL game takes three hours and 12 minutes to complete, however, with just 11 minutes of real football action. There are other ways to have fun during the game and ways to catch up on the game highlights. At the end of the day, if you’re in recovery, sobriety matters more than entertainment.

If you have any questions about protecting your sexuality or sexual sobriety please contact one of our CSAT therapists. We’d be happy to assist you on this challenging journey.