Curious about Dry January?
Eleven tips from someone who hasn't had alcohol in nearly a decade. Plus a tip for the cranky non-drinkers.
THE ART OF LIVING AN ALCOHOL-FREE LIFESTYLE
A series of one-off tips served with some straight talk, a bit of sass, and a penchant for not taking oneself or life too seriously. If you like these tips and my home here on the internet, hit that little heart button below & share this post. This allows my publication to be seen by more and more people - plus, it makes my big Leo heart swoon.
Allllllright, the party is over, and now you are looking to Dry January to set your ass straight. I don’t blame you. I’ve been there, and I am here for you. XX, M.
Welcome in, darling.
Many of you reading this newsletter may already be well into your AF lifestyle. However, I wonder if more of you who are here week after week are curious about it. So, I am inspired to do something I haven’t done in many years: talk about non-drinking challenges and the most popular one that is upon us, Dry January.
I want to start with a thank you to all of the non-drinkers here—the ones who have spent plenty of time living and loving life without alcohol. I am sure all of you are encouraging and welcoming to anyone looking to quit for good or trying out Dry January, which is fantastic! Keep it up. People like you make this lifestyle attractive and inviting to all those who are curious.
However, I want to zone in on the non-drinkers who are not so welcoming. You know who I am talking about—the cranky ones, out there knocking, mocking, and taking offense to anyone curious about trying it out. And before you think - What about the people making fun of it, disrespecting it, and doing it for cringe-worthy reasons, let me be the first to say, IGNORE those few. They are being foolish at best, and their nonsensical behavior should not cause distress or encourage you to react poorly. Don’t waste time engaging with this.
Remember, no matter why you quit drinking, the fact that you quit now makes you a leader in this area. You have gone through it all. You yourself may have even tried one of these challenges as a first attempt at something you knew you needed every day, not just 30 days. Or maybe you went through hell to quit. Or maybe you just up and quit one day. It doesn’t matter what ship you came in on. You are here now, and someone in your life may be looking to you.
So let this be a reminder to all of us non-drinkers - not everyone is courageous enough to just stop drinking alcohol. Some people may need these public challenges that are socially acceptable disguises to try it out without having the pressure to say they are going to quit forever and ever.
TIPS FOR THOSE WHO ARE DOING DRY JANUARY.
Set yourself up for success by planning out your week or, even better, the whole month. It’s like meal-prepping but for your social life. Cancel any events or meet-ups you know will cause friction if you do not drink. If you have to go, decide now whether you will talk about it or not. Prepare what you are going to say in the event someone tries to pressure you into drinking just for one night.
Whether you are quitting for 30 days or the foreseeable future, there is no such thing as failure. Heads up, this is a journey without any destination. Take the pressure off yourself to be perfect.
Have a positive attitude about it. No one, and I mean no one, is making you do Dry January. So please don’t complain about it. Being a non-drinker (for whatever length of time) is not a buzzkill - but being a complainer about not drinking is most certainly a buzzkill!
Figure out a way to use all your free time. Drinking takes up a lot of time. Think about those happy hour drinks that lead to unexpected late night disasters. Or the time it takes to get over a hangover. Sometimes, I would lose whole days on one bloody hangover. And probably the most notable time you will get back is the mental time you were using to figure out how much you would drink, how little, when, where, and with whom. All that thinking about drinking….gone. Enjoy the free mental space you now have.
Learn something new about yourself. Alcohol numbs all our senses and allows us to disengage when we really should be engaging. Maybe you will learn you don’t need alcohol to socialize. Or maybe you realize you do like that other person who you are otherwise triggered by when you are drinking. Or maybe you love staying home and working on an art project that you would typically ignore if you had the option to go out and drink.
Dabble in a hobby, or at least find a hobby. To piggyback off #5 - get out there and try something new. Do something different. Sign up for that course you have been looking at but always had the excuse of not having enough time.
Rest. If you are someone who is always going out and drinking, it’s probably in your best interest to use this time to stay home and rest your sweet body. This doesn’t mean you are lazy or anti-social. It means you are allowing yourself the time to unwind and truly relax. Get some good sleep, but also find a way to regulate your nervous system that may be jacked up from always going, going, going.
Move your body. All that pent-up energy can easily be released by physically moving your body. Go for a walk, run, or bike ride. Sign up for a class at your gym or take an online workout program. There are so many to choose from. Nothing will make you feel better than a great sweat session!
Stock up on the fabulous NA drinks on the market. I mean, for real! Nothing like this existed when I first quit drinking. How lucky are you! My choices were basically O’douls and O’douls. Now, the industry is booming, and there are so many choices. Play with it all. Have a night with your girlfriends to taste-test the ones that spark your interest. Also, there are plenty of social media accounts that are strictly all about mocktails, NA drinks, and zero proof. Hashtag it, and you will find them.
Please reconsider making cringy social media content, whether it’s "Mommy needs her wine," "I deserve to get drunk after a month of not drinking," “This is so boring,” or glorifying the act of drinking in any way. Trust me, you don’t look cool doing it. These days, I’m thrilled to see less and less of this, but surprisingly, it’s still out there, mostly from women of my generation. The younger generations are seemingly well aware of this cringe factor—most of them anyway. Kudos to that and them.
Lastly, be respectful. Remember, alcohol is an addictive substance, and many people struggle with it. You may not consider yourself in recovery or even know someone in recovery, but they are out there and deserve a whole lotta respect. I am someone who does not consider herself in recovery. This neither makes me worse or better than someone who does. However, I am acutely aware of how I speak about being a non-drinker. So, let’s all be mindful of this fine line before speaking flippantly about drinking, not drinking.
With all that said, good luck! Have fun with it, no matter what. As an oncology nurse who is reminded daily how quickly our health can be taken away from us, please know that choosing to slow down, take a break, or quit alcohol altogether is one of the best things you can do for your health, both present and future.
Much love and gusto to you!
XX, M
PS - To my nearest and dearest paid subscribers - look out for this week’s email with the 2024 wrap-up, next year's word, and what to expect from The Sober Glow Studio in 2025. Bonus - the heavily requested 2024 book list from my adorable, well-read husband, the Sober Joe.
UPCOMING AF RETREAT NEWS:
I am offering a New Year discounted price for a shared space (sorry, single rooms are sold out) until January 15th, 2025. Check it out here.