- Emily Syphas
- September 20, 2020
Top Tips for Navigating Friendships
When beginning your sober journey, a noticeable area of change is often in the dynamics of your friendships and relationships. You may need to heal friendships that you have damaged in your drinking days, you may need to ‘come out as sober’ to your friends or you may need to make space for your new sober friends.
Below are our top tips on how to navigate your friendships as your sober self.
1. Be Honest
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.
2. Suggest Fun Activities
Suggest other ideas away from your usual drinking environments that you would usually hang out in together. Go to an exercise class, meet for brunch, go for a walk and grab coffee. You can still spend together but you just need to change what you would usually do together (AKA getting smashed)
3. Find Sober Pals
This has been one of the most game changing and rewarding things we have done in our sobriety. It means you have a strong network of people that truly understand you, support you and are your sober cheerleaders.
4. Set Boundries
Make sure you are realistic with your friendships. For example if you are going on a boozy night out and you know everyone will be drinking, manage expectations and let them know you will be attending but not be staying the whole night or if it’s something that is to triggering politely decline and organise a lunch on a future date. Don’t feel like you have to attend everything.
5. Let Them Go
Sometimes people won’t get it and just like life friendships ebb and flow. There will be some people that you may feel disconnected to with your new found sober lifestyle but there will be others you will grow closer to who will be able to better support you. It’s okay to let people go and free up space for you and for new friends to flow in.
