And so it begins AGAIN.. 21 April 2025 (Easter Monday)
This time for six months. I will follow my previous blog post to kick start into sobriety.
Keep an eye on my progress and any new hurdles I come across along the way.
Feel free to join me on the journey and post any comments & tips you find along the way.
I've never been more ready for this!
Happy Monthiversary to me... I made it to 31 days and counting!
I am happy to report I have made it 5 days past my most recent attempt at sobriety (see blog Part 1). And it was not that difficult despite the sunny weather! Admittedly spraining my ankle and being heavily medicated on painkillers along the way helped me with temptations!
Here are five tips that I've learned so far...
- Not having an end date for your sobriety helps. You are not forever counting the days to that next drink.
- Keep nice non-alcoholic options stocked in the fridge.
- Explore non-alcoholic cocktails that you can make at home, especially to enjoy on a sunny Friday evening after work. There are many recipes online.
- Buy lots of lemons & limes. This may be my own personal obsession but adding them to sparkling water to accompany your main meal feels like a treat.
- Be kind to yourself & don't put pressure on yourself. If it feels right, it will work for you.
The bottom line is, you really have to want to give up your regular drinking habit.
If you are lucky enough to enjoy a glass or two at the weekends, good for you.
But if your drinking is starting to get you down and consuming you with guilty thoughts,
just give sobriety a go...
Now is as good a time as ever...
I'm excited to see that local supermarkets have expanded their range of non-alcoholic options and here is a good website I discovered if you want to pour something a bit more special into your glass https://worldofnix.com/en
Stay tuned for weekly news & updates about this new sober world.
Aldi range of mocktails are delcious!
Be adventurous with sparkling water
Acala Sparkling Tea Spritz
(World of Nix - see website in blog)
This Calls For A Celebration... A Sober Celebration?
Being honest, I found myself having wobbly moments over the last few days. Almost afraid to acknowledge the length of time that I've been sober (40 days & counting), I had to remind myself to not look back or turn around to admire my achievement so far. Saying that, it has been my longest stint of sobriety in about the last 15 years.
The real challenge last week was a celebratory occasion that popped up in my life that would usually call for bubbles, and then some! How do sober people mark special occasions without popping open a bottle? After all, isn't it in our DNA dating back to the ancient days of Greece & Rome when celebratory drunkenness was considered an obligation?
So I did some online research for sober ideas to celebrate but really, what I came across was more than sobering. Suggestions like going for a hike, organising a movie night or themed party... without alcohol. As I read these options, I felt my alcohol pangs well up inside me even more!
So I had to accept the bottom line - there really is no substitute for the merry ritual of drinking alcohol when celebrating special moments, and that's just a fact of life.
So, what did I do? I ended up overpaying for a bottle of 0% sparkling wine from Supervalu (€14) and surprisingly, it did the job. I think the fact I paid dearly for a bottle of something felt like I was getting a deserved reward.
Suffice to say, I have no good recommendations for anyone finding themselves in this same situation.
But if it helps, these tips might ease the pain:
- Cook a special dinner - choose a complicated recipe that requires going to the supermarket to buy lots of alternative ingredients and really make a meal out of it.
- Pay a bit more for a quality non-alcoholic drink, this worked for me.
- Buy yourself some new makeup or perfume (I did this too!). A new lipstick, eye shadow or that serum you have been contemplating buying for a while now. And these treats will complement your new found fresh & glowing complexion.
- Remind yourself that there is always a reason to drink. Tomorrow you might feel like drinking because it’s raining, you’re having a bad day at work, a bad hair day or an argument with a colleague, partner or friend. There is always a reason to drink alcohol, and a celebration is just one of them.
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