7 Must Have Tips to Socialize Booze Free
Socializing with a drink in hand or let's be honest 7, has been a perfectly normal, acceptable way of life and for some the only way to socialize. We are entering a new era and booze-free is becoming somewhat normalized, but that doesn't mean it is any easier.
Here are 7 must-have tips to socialize booze free and actually enjoy yourself.
1. Mindset
Let's not ignore the obvious. Most people aren't going to be sober like you, and that’s ok. In fact, if you go to a bar most people are going to be drinking and drunk. So let’s call a spade a spade: it will be busy, loud, and overwhelming at first. Be prepared to get comfortable being uncomfortable while you find your bearings. If all you are going to do is focus on not drinking, you are probably not ready to be out in a bar scene yet.
2. Plan Ahead
Planning your entrance and exit strategy is great. Know when you want to arrive, I prefer going a bit earlier so you can get a lay of the land. You can get yourself a mocktail and greet others with a drink in hand and avoid the first round of “Do you want a drink?”
Know when you want to leave. If you are going with friends or significant other, be open and honest about your plan. Give them a chance to support you and plan accordingly.
3. Alcohol Free Drinks
This is the fun part! You can't take something away and not replace it with another. That is not how our brain works. We will forever feel we are in a place of lack if we don't find a substitute. We are lucky enough to have some amazing, creative, and delicious alcohol-free options. From Kombucha, mixed NA cocktails with aromatic herbs to interesting flavored sparkling waters. Find your new favorite here: The Ultimate Guide to Non-Alcoholic Alternatives.
4. Commit to Your Choices
Not drinking alcohol is a choice. One that you should be proud of. Remember the reasons why you are choosing not to drink and commit to them. Think about the freedom and power you have in your life when you wake up without a hangover. Focus on what you are gaining from not drinking instead of what you are missing out on. The positive definitely out weighs the negative. Not sure if you want to or can commit? Dip your toe in the sobriety pool with the 30 Days to Gain Booze Free Challenge.
5. Watch your words
Choose your words wisely when you explain why you are choosing not to drink. When you say “I can’t” or “I am not allowed” you are coming from a place of lack and it just sounds painful! Of course, your friends and others are going to try and relieve your pain and suffering by getting you a drink! Put it this way, if your friend said “ I want to go to lunch with you but I don't have money.” You would offer to pay for them because you don't want them to go without. You would try to end their suffering.
Try these sentences:
“ I am way cooler when I don’t drink!”
“I don’t need or want a drink, I have more fun without it”
“I have too much great stuff going on in my life, I want to focus and not miss out on any of it!”
" I am doing the 30 Days to Gain Booze Free Challenge"
6. Connect
Don't feel like you are the show pony and have to perform by keeping everyone entertained. Most people have become so concerned about being interesting that they forget to be interested. Settle your nerves by opening your ears and listen and engage with others. Become genuinely interested in other people. Ask great open-ended questions like: “Tell me about yourself.” Or “Tell me more.”
7. Have Fun!
Enjoy knowing you will have these memories for the rest of your life. You will be present and clear-minded to fully take in your surroundings. You get to listen and dance to bands and DJs, savor culinary creations, connect with like-minded people, and remember it all!
Stuck in that never-ending cycle of drinking? Stop torturing yourself! You don't have to be on this hamster wheel anymore. Through my 10 years of trial and error, I have taken the guesswork out of ditching booze. I am going to teach you the must-have skills to ditch alcohol and enjoy it! Through coaching and community, you will feel the love and support of like-minded women. Get off the hamster wheel. Start here.