If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook then you may know that I've been exploring my relationship with alcohol. Really, I've been working on sobriety. (Which really freaks me out to say). I don't know why, but I just feel such resistance around claiming "I'm sober". I haven't done enough work around this to know exactly why it bothers me so much, but I think I'm afraid of being ostracized. Sigh. The reality is though, that every.single.time. I drink alcohol (even 1 drink), I regret it. I've gotten really in tune with how my body feels and my tolerance for sloth like behavior is about zero. Girlfriend's got goals!
Any who...
Along this journey to sobriety I've created many methods for keeping up the party without waking up as the Grim Reaper the next day. I'm going to share them with you so that even if you want to keep drinking, you can do it without killing all of your hopes and dreams.
Clients, friends and family tell me all the time that social hours are the hardest as they work on their wellness. While you do have the option to skip the social hour (because the people or lifestyle no longer suits you), you may choose to join and change how you get it done on Friday night. I suggest you spend some time considering these options carefully. How you spend your time and with whom are THE most important determining factors of your life!!! I repeat, how you spend your precious time and with whom are the most IMPORTANT things to pay attention to.
So, if you're looking to create healthier or perhaps more sustainable drinking habits here are some tips:
Spread out 1 glass of wine by mixing 1 oz with seltzer and an optional splash of juice
Drink Kombucha instead of alcohol when you get that craving
Make or order mocktails
Make 1 vodka soda water, then add just the soda water when you refill
Skip the gathering all together
Schedule a meeting or workout early the next day
Schedule a babysitter for just a few hours
Create strict boundaries around when you drink and how often
Get clarity around why you want or need to drink
Join a sober month challenge
Look, I can't tell you if you need to cut back on your drinking or if you need to quit all together. You have to decide that on your own. It may be related to your health, the quality of your relationships, your career or other goals. BUT, if you are resistant to even trying to cut back or give up drinking for a short period of time, you may want to look into why. It's so easy to become dependent on alcohol to deal with stress, trauma, boredom, insecurity, shyness and a whole host of other feelings. You are certainly not alone.
For me personally, it's been a bumpy road. There were 100% times in my life when I needed to stop drinking as I spiraling into a deep depression and using alcohol to self medicate. And there are times where I've had a healthy balance. Now I feel like I want to quit because I can't afford to lose days of productivity. AND, I feel like drinking zaps all the good feelings I generate by making healthy choices, It's the ol' one step forward and one step back shenanigans.
Being sober is allowing me to experience and overcome uncomfortable moments that I used to numb out. I'm also feeling less symptoms of anxiety, depression and I have more energy. Becoming my highest self so that I can teach others how do the same is my life's purpose. I've been peeling back layers of my former self and this is just another. It's scary and exciting all at the same time! Not sure if I have any shields left to hide behind once I drop this one?!? Either way, I'll continue to share my journey and pull up as many who are willing to rise with me.
Cheers, or not ;)
Thanks for reading,
Kellie

MOVE.CONNECT.LEARN.™
There's a song for that: "Sober", by Pink
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