Does just the thought of not drinking (or drinking less) over the holidays bring you anxiety, or even stress and/or nervousness? You're not alone and I was YOU for parts of my life!
Check out my tips below so you can quell those fears and still quench your thirst joyfully!
Write a letter to alcohol
- Ok friends, hear me out! Before taking action on the possible goal of drinking less or not at all, let’s get intentional and clear on your WHY. Oftentimes, it can help (and if you’re my client you may have done this) to personify alcohol and write a letter to them. In that letter, share what your relationship with alcohol has looked like up until this point, how has it has felt to you (what emotions have been connected to the experience) and how you would like your relationship with alcohol to look. Many times, this journal prompt alone can get you to your WHY.
- For me, this practice shed light on my experience of disconnection from self and from others that I felt when I would drink - especially in the aftermath/hangover stage. My WHY for drinking less was centered around my true, authentic desire to be more fully connected to myself and my community and cultivate stronger relationships. This WHY was helpful to center on whenever I felt little bits of doubt or challenge creep in during the early days of my sober curiousity journey.
Create an abundance mindset
- Instead of focusing your energy on all of the things you’re going to miss out on when you don’t drink, focus on all of the things you GET TO DO without alcohol clouding your physical, mental or emotional health. Write it down!
- Maybe you get to fully participate in the cooking experience on thanksgiving in a more conscious state where you get to really connect with your grandmothers recipes and cooking art. Maybe you get to be more present with your nieces and nephews. Maybe you’re able to wake up earlier on thanksgiving morning and go for a long walk with your sibling. Maybe with more consistent and quality sleep you’re able to stay consistent with your health goals of feeling energized before even getting to new years. What you're doing here is channeling GRATITUDE. When you're channeling into the gratitude moments as a result of drinking less, you are bringing yourself into a high vibration that comes with its own set of mental health bennys (1).
Have a replacement
- Let’s make sure that we set you up for success form the get-go so that your options aren’t alcohol or air! You should have ample NA options lined up…queue: JÜJ. Make sure you hit up our RECIPES for plenty of yummy mocktail inspo to keep you satiated, joyful and participatory in the social drinking experience throughout the holidays. Not to mention, your replacement (when choosing JÜJ) will literally ADD to your health by optimizing gut, blood sugar and liver detox while drinking alcoholic bevs burdens all of these systems. Deep dive on the health benefits of bitters here.
- PS: This Pomegranate Spritzer = my go-to simple holiday bev, I also love our Golden Milk latte for an after dinner warm bevvy.
Get an accountability buddy
- Since we’re all about building community and feeling connected here at JÜJ, we absolutely recommend you loop in an accountability buddy into your sober curiosity journey. Choose someone you love and trust, this is important! Either, by sharing your WHY and your goals with this person or, better yet, find someone like a friend, family member or partner to loop in to participate alongside you.
- It's your choice to share your why with someone you care about, BUT sharing may lead to a deeper, more vulnerable and stronger connection with someone you never realized. Often, when we lead from a space of vulnerability, it can be shocking how that provides a guiding light for that person to open up more and hence, for you both to connect more deeply than ever.
Set a (short term) goal
- Are you an ‘all or nothing’ type? Well listen up! It’s important that you set a shorter term goal that feels challenging and realistic - especially if this is your first go around reducing or eliminating alcohol. Instead of thinking, ‘if I eliminate it now, I must eliminate it forever’ (which can deter people from pursuing the goal) let yourself choose a shorter term goal and then reach it. From there, you can decide where you go next - whether you continue, pause or circle back later.
- One thing that has served my sober curiosity journey well was that I never decided I needed to be fully sober forever. Creating harsh boundaries for myself always tended to deter me and backfire. Instead, I allowed myself to be curious around my desire to drink less and my WHY; this lead me to choosing short periods where I’d fully eliminate alcohol and times where I choose it as part of an experience like a winery or family event. My intention with alcohol it is to be MINDFUL; always choosing it for me (and not due to anyone else’s influence) and making sure my choice aligns with my intention to connect with myself and support my health.
PS: Wondering what to say when others ask why you’re not drinking alcohol?
I like this script:
“I’m choosing to drink this mocktail (non alcoholic beverage) today/tonight because I’ve been feeling so good with it! I’m obsessed with this combo (juices/citrus/bitters/etc in your mock) - it’s so tasty and makes my body feel nourished and hydrated. Want to try one?"
Pro tip: Make it fun and inviting to NOT be drinking - like you’re the one in the exclusive ‘club’ vs. the one being left out. Invite them in (gently) and offer to make them a mock! Make it about what you’re CHOOSING vs. being left out of.
This perspective and the struggle with feeling awkward when I started drinking less is truly one of my biggest WHYs behind creating JÜJ digestive bitters. It's a place for those of you to land that're craving the community-connective aspect of social drinking while also wanting to choose a product that aligns with your values of health.
