Recently I keep seeing, reading and hearing more about people who seem to be (somewhat) interested in (or perhaps intrigued by…?) leading an alcohol-free life… So I thought, let’s look at the (insanely scary, I get it!) idea of cutting alcohol out of your life.
What does it mean? Will your life be boring as f*ck? Will you lose all your friends? Will you turn into a recluse? What is there left to look forward to at the weekends? Or even worse, how would you manage that wedding or that girl’s trip to Las Vegas?
But I’m going too fast… So… let’s say that you’re getting a bit tired of all the times you get home way later than planned while drinking way more than you wanted. And of the days that you feel like sh*t after a “fun” night out (fun until you lost memory of the night and of how you got home that is). And tired of being grumpy and not having patience for your kids, let alone having fun while spending time with them! Just because you feel tired and worn out.
There are these, and so many other reasons that can all be móre than enough to decide that you’d like to change something in your life. There’s no necessity to hit any so-called rock bottom first. If you think that your life can be BETTER and will IMPROVE by “simply” cutting out drinking alcohol, why not give it a shot?
By experience, I can tell you there’s so much to gain from leading an alcohol-free life…
Pro´s of an alcohol-free life
- Clarity of mind -You’ll start to feel calmer in your head and see things more clearly. And not having to try and moderate and thinking about whether to drink today or not gives sooo much peace of mind…
- Lots more energy – Partly thanks to no more bad nights of sleep due to alcohol and the non-existence of hangovers
- No more regrets of things you didn’t really want to do but did anyway because you drank more than you wanted to and lost control of your true feelings & desires
- Mental growth – Simply because you’re always 100% yourself, you grow, mentally. Your confidence grows by learning to be at ease with yourself in any situation
- In sobriety, you learn what you actually like and don´t like. And this is perfect, as now you can start creating your own happiness by designing your life around just that. I found out for example that I (in general) really dislike doing things in groups and having evening activities planned. I´m more a one-on-one person that loves to do lots of things during the day & at night I love being home. And I realised that since I started organising my life like this, I’m so much happier!
- You’re improving the world! You are helping to change the narrative, to break the stigma -> Making not-drinking as normal as drinking alcohol! And by doing this you’re also a great role model for people around you, including your kids, if have any. I love being a sober role model for my daughter. Showing her that life is amazing and full and fun and complete without alcohol❤️ Showing her that fun is in people, activities & within oneself – not in alcohol.
There’s so much you get from a booze-free life! And with regards to my earlier questions, I can tell you this:
Answers to big Q´s
* Will your life be boring like f*ck?
No, absolutely not! It will most likely be different than what it looked like before as you will learn where your interests really lie. And therefore there will be some things you probably won´t like doing anymore. But other things will come in their place, potentially exciting stuff… For instance, I don´t go out-out anymore but I play Padel tennis all the time nowadays which is sooo much fun!!
* Will you lose all your friends?
Highly unlikely! Although there´s quite possibly some shifting going to happen. You have different relationships with different friends. And the friends that you mostly hung out with to drink, might disappear to the background (unless you are very close and your drinking or not drinking hasn´t got a bit of influence on your relationship). Then there will also be new people that you´ll meet, by exploring different pastimes/hobbies, and they can grow into new meaningful relationships.
* Will you turn into a recluse?
Hahaha – No! Bút, depending on how strong you will feel in your decision to stop drinking, I recommend to avoid certain situations. Situations that you will find triggering/hard not to be tempted to drink, are better to avoid in the beginning. However, after that, you can do anything you did what you did when you were still drinking IF that still appeals to you. I realised I really like to do outdoor activities (like Padel tennis and walking) but also that I really like being at home (to potter, read & write). This doesn’t make me a recluse though, it’s just me, doing the things that actually make me happy!
* What is there left to look forward to at the weekends?
Don´t get me started… As mentioned before, you will find out what your favourite (some new, some old) pastimes are by not drinking and you can do these every weekend, all weekend long, fresh as a daisy, without a depressing, exhausting hangover bugging you, yay!! Think going out for a coffee (with a friend or alone!), go for an early morning run, visit a Farmer’s Market, chill at home, go for a dip in the sea/lake/river, read a book in your garden (or bed), do whatever makes you happy 😉
* How would you manage that wedding or that girl’s trip to Las Vegas?
Yes, this is a tricky one and it needs time and practice… I will get into tips on how to survive special occasions sober (also called ´Sober Firsts´) in my next article!
TIP: Check out soberistas.com – An amazing website with a worldwide community of friendly, non-judgmental people that all help each other kicking the booze. I have been a member there since 2014 and it really helped me in finding my way to sobriety. Or Sober Girl Society – Another amazing platform for sober and sober curious women who are changing their relationship with alcohol. Also, feel free to contact me anytime if you want to chat more about sobriety and leading an alcohol-free life, love a good sobriety chat!
