Your buddy for the event should be someone who doesn’t not drink. You don’t want to risk losing your support system because he or she has become too intoxicated to use sound judgment. Be self-assured, but in a casual, friendly way, like your not drinking isn’t a big deal at all, and you’re pushing their question aside. A mistake some people make when using this approach is they act overly-firm, or over-assertive, which may be seen as rude or confrontational. Depending on what you want, avoiding alcohol may being sober around drinkers be all you need.
How to Pace Yourself Drinking 7 Must-Have Essentials to Successfully Pace Your Drinking
- Planning in advance is essential when engaging in social situations involving alcohol.
- It’s considered a normal, acceptable thing to do with friends.
- However, with some strategies and a strong mindset, it is indeed possible to stay alcohol-free in a society that often revolves around drinking.
- This way, the event revolves around delicious meals and meaningful connections rather than alcohol.
If you like dancing, you’ll do it for hours when you’ve got some alcohol in you. If you don’t drink, it’s helpful if you can still keep up with these activities. You may have to grow a thick skin for long pub conversations, or develop the guts to dance sober. Or again, you can try your best to avoid these situations.
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This means a person who lives with alcohol addiction may not know they are engaging in behaviors like blame and denial to protect themselves from their fears. There’s no perfect way to quit drinking that works for all people all the time. But these are the core elements that I’ve used and seen others use successfully over the past few years. In the early days of sobriety, be very discerning about your social calendar. Avoid overly tempting places, especially those that are triggers for you.
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Meetup is an app you can use to search for interesting sober events around your local area. In the early days, focusing on social activities that don’t center around alcohol is important. Even if your friends are not outwardly pressuring you to drink, being around everyone as they’re drinking can spark internal pressure to cave.
Surround Yourself With Supportive People
Taking yourself away from any influence to drink alcohol may be necessary and that’s okay! If you feel like it’s all too much, it’s also fine to avoid gatherings that contain alcohol to begin with. You can even host your own events and let everyone know in advance it’s alcohol-free to take the pressure off from the start. Having a drink in your hand is often the first line Sober living house of defense against pushy friends and colleagues when you are avoiding alcohol.
Know your limits and be ready to communicate them to others. Opt for gatherings that are less likely to involve heavy drinking. Don’t be too hard on yourself; instead, question if you’re making a small problem seem bigger than it is.
- Understanding the potential health risks and long-term effects can reinforce your decision to not drink.
- Understanding the risks of impaired driving, perhaps by learning about blood alcohol content, can make this role feel even more meaningful.
- Whether you’re seeking help for yourself or a loved one, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
- When I plan nights out this way it makes it 1000x times easier to apply the tips below and I will go home at a decent hour, feel great, and even wake up feeling good.
- No matter how old we are, peer pressure can still influence our lives.
But what if you do find yourself in the occasional situation where it’s around? Or what if you have no problem with being around drinkers, or in drinking-related places, but just don’t want to do it yourself? Maybe you’ve taken time off from drinking in the past and the response was hardly enthusiastic.
Saying no to a drink can feel hard, especially if the people around you are used to your easy yes at every pour. That said, there’s no reason you can’t live your best sober life from November through February and beyond. Here are some tips on how to have an alcohol-free or alcohol-lite winter when everyone’s getting on the sauce. Science also suggests that cold weather makes us want to reach for a drink. One study from 2018 found a connection between average temperature, hours of sunlight and alcohol consumption, with colder climates contributing to higher rates of binge drinking. So yes, there are a few factors working against us in the colder months.