How to Have The Best Sober Girl Summer
Whether it's your first, fourth, or fifteenth Sober Girl summer, we all can use some tips and tricks to survive the summer season sober and actually enjoy it! I found the pressure from more social gatherings, warmer weather, patio season, and time spent with family and loved ones, Summer is a challenging time for all Sober Girls. But it doesn't have to be.
Here are my top 6 tips to have the best Sober Girl Summer:
1. Community
People who quit smoking and drinking or lose weight don’t succeed because they’re stronger than you. They aren’t. They succeed because they create environments that help them meet their goals and avoid environments that don’t. Join the Sober Girl Social Club to meet other sober/sober curious girls all around the world for Support Circles led by certified coaches. We are stronger together!
2. 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 cocktails with aromatic herbs to interesting flavored sparkling waters. Find your new favorite here: The Ultimate Guide to Non-Alcoholic Alternatives.
3. 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 positives definitely outweigh the negatives. Not sure if you want to or can commit? Dip your toe in the sober pool with the 30 Days to Gain Booze-Free Challenge.
4. Conserve Your Energy
There is no reason you need to stop by old hangouts or people who you feel compelled to drink around, otherwise known as a "trigger." Don't risk it. I am not saying to never go back to these people or places, just not necessary right now. Conserve your time and energy and if you feel this is a test you are not willing to take, opted out. That is self-care!
How to tell someone is a trigger or energy sucker: You can't help but feel exhausted and down after being around them. It is a strain on you to be around them, from carrying the conversation to being a soundboard or they may always have a negative perspective or feel like they are sucking air out of the room and conversation.
5. Experiences
I always love the question: "What do you do if you don't drink?" The answer is literally ANYTHING and EVERYTHING! In reality, you have much more freedom when you don't drink. People trust you to be around their kids, you can drive cars, boats, planes, you name it! We all know what happens in a bar, people drink and get drunk, boring! Add some spice to your life with experiences. Try getting out in nature, taking up a new sport like tennis or golf (the golf carts are the best!) cycling, dancing, long drive around your city or town to go berry picking. The possibilities are endless.
6. Watch your words
Choose your words wisely when you explain why you are choosing not to drink. When you say “I can’t, I shouldn’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 really 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"
Get the extra accountability you deserve in achieving your goals this summer. Join A Sober Girls Guide Group Coaching. Through my 10 years of trial and error, I have taken the guesswork out of changing your relationship with alcohol. I am going to teach you the must-have skills to ditch alcohol and enjoy it! You will have weekly homework to complete, exercises to use daily, and accountability. When these elements come together you will be living booze-free in no time. You will be too busy with a life you love, that you will never have to self-medicate again! Join here.