The more honest you are with yourself in regards to ‘not drinking’, the more rewarding and deeper your friendships will become. Letting people know the why behind your sobriety gives them a chance to understand your reasoning and support you on this. You will be surprised when your friends know your why, how much more they will support your choice.

This can come in particularly handy if you are thinking about picking up a drink.  Ask yourself: Is this the happiest, healthiest and highest choice I can make for myself right now? By asking this simple question, it allows us to stop and think about our decision before picking up a drink. This is usually something we do on autopilot so by creating this space between thought and action we can make better choices for ourselves.

With drinks in full flow over the festive season, it can be easy to lose sight of the reason why you’re sober in the first place. Stay connected to your why by reminding yourself of it regularly, so that whenever someone offers you a drink, you know exactly why you’re turning it down. 

       Look at the next 12 hours and see where you would be in 12 hours time if you drank alcohol. What would the next day look like? How would it feel? Where would you end up? It’s important for us to be realistic about where our drinking takes us, play the tape forward and to ask ourselves if we really want to be in that place.

       Honesty is the best policy when it comes to sober dating.  I always make someone aware of the fact I’m not drinking before going on the date. That way if they truly don’t want to go on a sober date or date someone sober in the long term, you have already saved yourself wasting time on someone who, quite frankly wouldn’t have been right for you.

It’s best to manage expectations before you go, especially if they are planning the date. It will avoid you being taken to a wine bar where they probably won’t have much on the menu you can drink and it won’t be enjoyable for either of you. Some people may not be on board with your new conscious lifestyle which is also fine, but laying honest foundations is crucial to setting you on the path to finding someone in total alignment with who you are.

       We personally found the more honest we were about our sobriety the better our friendships became. We were totally honest with our nearest and dearest as to why we were making this decision and because these people love us they wanted the best for us. You will be surprised how supportive people will be when they know your why. Honesty is definitely the best policy.

Before a sober night out I like to really get in the mood this would previously look like downing a bottle of rose while getting ready and getting some dutch courage inside of me. However these days I like to get myself in a positive mindset as I feel this is crucial in enjoying and let’s be honest surviving a sober night out, especially if it’s a big occasion like a wedding or birthday when you know there will be lots of temptation around. I meditate for 10 minutes, go for a run, have a bath and then pour myself some kombucha, stick some house tunes and volia you are ready to go face the night head on! My theory is if we feel at our best we are less likely to engage in behaviours that we know aren’t good for us.