Here’s how to plan for a sober Christmas
For years I used to drink every day – not huge amounts but regularly. I would always be the first to suggest a trip to the pub for work drinks and the last to leave.
But once I took a total alcohol break in 2018 I found I no longer needed it, and that’s still the case. Life can be better and richer if you feel in complete control of your drinking habits, rather than them controlling you.
So if you’ve recently given up alcohol, or you’re taking a break from it, I guarantee you’ll enjoy the festive period more knowing it’s not dominated by booze. Here’s how to plan for a sober Christmas.
Life can be better and richer if you feel in complete control of your drinking habits. iStock
Track the festive period
At the start of the party season use a paper calendar, pinned up somewhere visible, to set yourself a goal. Noting each day without a drink will give you a sense of achievement, and writing down upcoming social events means you can make sure that you’re prepared.
Share your sobriety plans
Whether it’s your partner, family or a friend, let the people in your life know you’re doing a Dry Christmas and tell them why so that they can keep an eye on you and be supportive, especially when you’re socialising. .
Don’t hide – get out and about
We tend to associate having a drink with relaxation, good times and socialising – all things that can be had without alcohol once we learn how to do it. Instead of crying off those big events, go out as much as normal so that you get used to socialising without drinking and can break the false association with alcohol. Find out which alcohol-free drinks you enjoy so you’re never tempted to default to your usual tipple.
Know your triggers
Whether it’s a few glasses of fizz when friends and family come over or heading to the bar for the umpteenth work Christmas social, alcohol triggers – the moments you associate with having a drink – can scupper your sober plans if you’re not careful. It’s all about preparation. Most of all, don’t forget that you can have a craving without giving into it. After two or three minutes the craving will usually pass.
Organise distractions
Without boozy lunches and endless hangovers, you may find a break from alcohol gives you more free time to fill throughout your week. Pack it with pleasurable and enriching activities like visiting a Christmas market, ice-skating and shows, as well as hobbies, classes and sport, so you don’t default to your usual drinking habits.
Plan for parties
If you’ve been using alcohol to feel comfortable at big social events since your teens, that doesn’t mean you can’t manage without it – you just need to try. Remember, it’s the Christmas party or festive night out that’s the special thing – not the alcohol you’re going to have there. To give yourself a fighting chance, bring your own alcohol-free drink, have an exit strategy planned and leave early if necessary.
If you fall off the wagon
With any change there will be bumps along the way – so if you succumb to alcohol during the party season, it’s how you respond that really matters. While you may have had a drink or two, you’ve still had far less than you normally would in a month, and that’s progress. Don’t give up after one knock, don’t beat yourself up, just get right back on the wagon.
The Telegraph London
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