I’m fast-approaching 4 years of sobriety after a pretty turbulent relationship with alcohol. Time has flown by and giving up drinking has honestly been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my entire life.
There are so many reasons I gave up drinking but essentially, it didn’t make me happy anymore. Giving up the sauce felt more like a must than a want, but now I’m kicking myself for not doing it sooner.
If you’d recently done dry January and you’re beginning to see the benefits, then keep reading for tips for sticking with it. Don’t see the benefits and see the hype yet? Honestly, I didn’t really notice them for the first 3 – 6 months either, but I highly recommend just kicking it for a little longer and seeing how you feel…
Here are some tips that helped me stick with my sobriety:
1. Identify your triggers
For me, it’s always been a case of one drink is too many, a thousand is never enough. I find it quite easy to avoid alcohol, as long as I’ve not already opened a bottle. Find your triggers and avoid them.
2. Build healthy relationships
Surround yourself with positive people, and don’t feel you need to surround yourself with people you’ve outgrown and are toxic to your health and wellbeing.
“You’re a product of your environment, surround yourself with the best.”
3. Celebrate milestones
Whether you’re celebrating one week, one month, or one year, all sobriety milestones should be celebrated. Download a free tracker on your phone to keep a tally of how many days you’ve been sober.
4. Shift your focus
Every weekend it was my habit to go out drinking with my friends. I guess you could say my hobbies had taken a backseat, so I shuffled my focus and spent more time doing things that made me happy, like swimming.
5. Indulge in healthy eating
When I gave up drinking, I instantly started to feel better. Firstly, I didn’t have my head halfway down a toilet, so that helped. This encouraged me to start looking after my body, which changed my mindset.
6. Embrace the positives
Getting sober felt a little like a prison sentence at first, I kept wondering why I was depriving myself of fun. Until I started to recognize that sobriety gave me the gift of Sunday hangover-free. Wonderful Sunday 🌞
7. Share your sobriety
Being open about your sobriety means you won’t succumb to peer pressure and you’ll have some accountability. Most of all, I worried what people would think until I learnt
“Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind”.
8. Track your finances
When you give up drinking you’ll save so much money. When I was drinking I’d spend anywhere from £40 – £100 a week (circa. £4,800 a year). You can then use that money on things that make you happy.
9. Experiment with mocktails
Pouring yourself a coke whenever you’re in a situation where you’d usually drink alcohol gets boring fast. Create mocktails to put the enjoyment back into drinking. Your Drink Box has a great no alcohol section.
10. Read sobriety literature
Educated yourself on alcohol culture and addiction. I learnt so much about my mind and body, which really helped me. This completely changed how I perceived alcohol, especially because of THIS book.
11. Begin journaling
Keeping a journal is my answer to everything. You can do this on your phone or with pen and paper, whatever feels most natural. Sometimes it helps to get everything out, and you can reflect on your entries in the future.
12. Be patient with yourself
If you slip up and have a drink, it’s not the end of the world. Even if you just start with a few sober nights out and then gradually work towards a sober lifestyle, it’s all progress. Be kind to yourself.
Are you planning to stay sober after January? 🍹