Top 10 tips for people thinking about doing a sober month:
(It’s been pointed out to me that pregnant woman have to go NINE MONTHS without alcohol, another valid and necessary reason for birth control if you ask me.)
1) Expect it to be hard.
If you are anything like me and drank most weekends, and had a drink most evenings, then going cold turkey for a month is going to be tough. The hard spots will hit you at the most random of moments. You will probably expect Friday and Saturday nights to be hard, but when you have a rough day at work and your boss is riding you as if you are sea biscuit , you will probably crave a large glass of wine! Just crack open a spirilina my friend, and know that you can do it. You will feel proud of yourself once the month is over.
2) Get a group of friends to do it with you.
My friends were great. Danielle and Gavin jumped on the bandwagon and detoxed with me, and so did my Mum. It really helped because we planed sober events like board game nights. I know some friends wont be supportive of your effort to detox, and every second word will be “get a drink in ya, will ya?” just stay strong. Your integrity is on the line, I wanted to do this to prove to myself that I don’t need alcohol and I’m not addicted - well I think I have. Had I craved into peer pressure, I wouldn’t be able to say that.
Not drinking doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t go out and dance either - if you are around drunk people, it is quite easy to develop the placebo effect and shred the layers of insecurities just as you would have if you had a couple of drinks.
3) Expect to lose weight.
I never make a point of weighing myself, but I gingerly stepped on the scales at a friends house at the beginning of the month. I weighed 68kg, the heaviest I’ve ever been. On Saturday I stepped on the same scales and I weighed 64kgs - and this is after I’d eaten a bag of pineapple lumps, had clunky boots and a coat on. I feel clothes going on more easily, I can feel my hip bones starting to become more prominent, and Charlie the chef at Queen‘s Ferry told me that I‘m looking damn good - which is always nice to hear.
4) Don’t expect to save money.
A normal person probably would, but if you are anything like me, you will justify other purchases because “you are saving so much money not buying alcohol”. I brought TICKETS TO FIJI - yeah that’s right - be jealous, boots and clothes, paid back my debt to Canada, and brought a lift ticket to mt ruapehu. To be fair these are awesome purchases. (Apart from my debt to Canada, that was just annoying)
5) Don’t expect to have so much more energy, it’s a myth.
You will most likely feel tired and lethargic, unfortunately this is withdrawal, but it will ease after the first couple of weeks.
6) If you’re single, expect to still be single by the end of the month.
I know, I know, you CAN meet people sober, and more than likely the boys you do meet in bars are dirty rotten scoundrels, but the social lubricant certainly makes it easier…
7) If you are in a relationship, there probably isn’t much reason for you to do a sober month, lets face it, you don’t go out all that much anyway.
Sorry if this seems harsh all you couples - just peg me as a bitter single woman with cats if it makes you feel better.
8) Expect healthy looking eyes and skin.
My friend Ben told me I was glowing the other day, and I’ll put it down to the fact that I haven’t drunk alcohol in the past four weeks. Either that or I’m pregnant… :S Come to think of it, could the pregnant “glow” be because these woman have given up alcohol?
9) Have fun finding other things to do than go out to drink.
Recommendations: snow planet, movies, shopping, and sleeping is a big one - something that my weekends were severely lacking prior this month.
This month has taught me that sober activities can be highly enjoyable, and being alive on Sunday is a fabulous feeling. I will definitely scale back my alcohol intake because of this month.
10) Plan a massive weekend for your induction back into adult hood.
I can’t wait for Friday!
Rebecca Black can probably tell you how excited I am better than what I can. (If you have been living under a rock, and haven’t heard this yet then you are in for a treat :-))
1) Expect it to be hard.
If you are anything like me and drank most weekends, and had a drink most evenings, then going cold turkey for a month is going to be tough. The hard spots will hit you at the most random of moments. You will probably expect Friday and Saturday nights to be hard, but when you have a rough day at work and your boss is riding you as if you are sea biscuit , you will probably crave a large glass of wine! Just crack open a spirilina my friend, and know that you can do it. You will feel proud of yourself once the month is over.
2) Get a group of friends to do it with you.
My friends were great. Danielle and Gavin jumped on the bandwagon and detoxed with me, and so did my Mum. It really helped because we planed sober events like board game nights. I know some friends wont be supportive of your effort to detox, and every second word will be “get a drink in ya, will ya?” just stay strong. Your integrity is on the line, I wanted to do this to prove to myself that I don’t need alcohol and I’m not addicted - well I think I have. Had I craved into peer pressure, I wouldn’t be able to say that.
Not drinking doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t go out and dance either - if you are around drunk people, it is quite easy to develop the placebo effect and shred the layers of insecurities just as you would have if you had a couple of drinks.
3) Expect to lose weight.
I never make a point of weighing myself, but I gingerly stepped on the scales at a friends house at the beginning of the month. I weighed 68kg, the heaviest I’ve ever been. On Saturday I stepped on the same scales and I weighed 64kgs - and this is after I’d eaten a bag of pineapple lumps, had clunky boots and a coat on. I feel clothes going on more easily, I can feel my hip bones starting to become more prominent, and Charlie the chef at Queen‘s Ferry told me that I‘m looking damn good - which is always nice to hear.
4) Don’t expect to save money.
A normal person probably would, but if you are anything like me, you will justify other purchases because “you are saving so much money not buying alcohol”. I brought TICKETS TO FIJI - yeah that’s right - be jealous, boots and clothes, paid back my debt to Canada, and brought a lift ticket to mt ruapehu. To be fair these are awesome purchases. (Apart from my debt to Canada, that was just annoying)
5) Don’t expect to have so much more energy, it’s a myth.
You will most likely feel tired and lethargic, unfortunately this is withdrawal, but it will ease after the first couple of weeks.
6) If you’re single, expect to still be single by the end of the month.
I know, I know, you CAN meet people sober, and more than likely the boys you do meet in bars are dirty rotten scoundrels, but the social lubricant certainly makes it easier…
7) If you are in a relationship, there probably isn’t much reason for you to do a sober month, lets face it, you don’t go out all that much anyway.
Sorry if this seems harsh all you couples - just peg me as a bitter single woman with cats if it makes you feel better.
8) Expect healthy looking eyes and skin.
My friend Ben told me I was glowing the other day, and I’ll put it down to the fact that I haven’t drunk alcohol in the past four weeks. Either that or I’m pregnant… :S Come to think of it, could the pregnant “glow” be because these woman have given up alcohol?
9) Have fun finding other things to do than go out to drink.
Recommendations: snow planet, movies, shopping, and sleeping is a big one - something that my weekends were severely lacking prior this month.
This month has taught me that sober activities can be highly enjoyable, and being alive on Sunday is a fabulous feeling. I will definitely scale back my alcohol intake because of this month.
10) Plan a massive weekend for your induction back into adult hood.
I can’t wait for Friday!
Rebecca Black can probably tell you how excited I am better than what I can. (If you have been living under a rock, and haven’t heard this yet then you are in for a treat :-))
I really enjoyed keeping up with your sober adventure Rose! Good for you :)
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