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Millie enjoying a virgin Espresso Martini
was left to confront the feelings that she had tried to bury for so long . Once she got over this , however , she hasn ’ t looked back . She says , “ there is nothing in my life that hasn ’ t got better , even if only a little bit . My mental health improved , my physical health , energy and finances all improved . Even my relationship with family and friends improved . There was just so many things that got better really quickly . You don ’ t realise how many parts of your life [ drinking ] is affecting until you stop and really look at it .”
So , how can ensure your sober summer goes as smooth as possible ?
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Support System Tell your friends and family about your plans ( if you want to ) so that they can support you . Some people may not understand why you want to , but explain your reasons and if they love you , then they will want what ’ s best for you .
Millie found that she had to work harder at some friendships , finding more in common with people than just drinking . There are also lots of resources online , including bloggers , social media influencers , podcasts and books to help you so that you don ’ t feel alone on your journey Millie set up The Sober Girl Society in 2018 as she felt there wasn ’ t much support online at the time . She hoped to bring together young women going through the same things to “ talk about the best nonalcoholic wines and share tips on sober dating ”, and she says she thought “ there may be like 10 of us ” but it has snowballed since then . They now hold virtual “ sober clubs ” every Saturday , as well as in-person events around the country and have over 194k followers on Instagram .
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Try New Things Millie suggests finding new ways to unwind and de-stress that doesn ’ t involve drinking , She loves brunch and now goes for the food rather than bottomless cocktails . You can take up hobbies , go out to places that don ’ t revolve around drinking such as the theatre or even try a sport . Socialising can tend to revolve around alcohol in Britain but there are so many ways to spend time with people that you love or meet new friends . Your social life will become more meaningful as the beer-goggles are off , and you choose places that are actually interesting rather than where the cheapest drinks are .
Confront Your Fears As mentioned before , alcohol is often used as a crutch to deal with problems or as a ‘ social lubricant ’. That was a struggle that Millie faced when she first stopped drinking .
“ I had no innate confidence on my own cause I ’ d always relied on alcohol for my confidence ,” she says . “ It was really difficult at the beginning because I found social situations so scary and overwhelming .”
Her advice is to keep pushing yourself . “ Gradually , I learned to build my confidence . I went to a few social and networking events without alcohol , and I was like , “ alright , I didn ’ t die ” and it built from there . It is really hard at first though , because there is no quick fix .”
Similarly , you need to identify the things that trigger stress or uncertainty and face them head on . Discuss your worries with loved ones and put in place coping strategies that don ’ t involve alcohol . But with social situations , if in the past you found yourself drinking to cope around certain people or at certain places , and that uncomfortableness is still there , you may want to assess if it is the right place for you to be . It is okay to put yourself first and leave if you need to .
The Future Finally , when you find it tough , remind yourself of the reasons you ’ ve chosen to do this . Whether it ’ s to give yourself peace of mind , improve your health , save money or just to see if you can , keep those in your mind . Imagine where you want to be in the future and what you need to do to get there . No matter if you choose to stay tee-total or not , be kind to yourself and remember selfimprovement is an ongoing process .
Turn over for a yummy mocktail recipe
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RECLAIM YOUR MORNINGS !
Less hangovers = more free time . Give yourself something fun to look forward to that ’ s better than feeling sorry for yourself in bed .
Explore the city or grab your four-legged friends & go for a long walk . The fresh air & excercise will have you feeling great .
Plan to meet up with friends or family . Some wholesome fun will remind you that spending time with the people you love is awesome even without a drink in your hand . Why not grab a pub lunch ? It ’ s a fact that Sunday roast tastes better without a pounding head .
Wake up early & head to your local market to pick up some goodies for yourself . Whether you love flowers , artisan food or antiques , you can pick up one of a kind pieces at a variety of markets across the country .
Prepare for the week ahead -take your time getting oufits & anything else sorted . It ’ ll save you time in the week and stop you from feeling rushed .
Have a mooch around the shops or browse the bargains online in your PJs . You need to treat yourself with all that money your saving , right ?
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Image : Sober Girl Society |