How to Start Living Your Best Life Without Booze

Blogging musts: coffee + music

One of the most common questions I get on Instagram is “I want to live without booze - do you have any tips?”

I love receiving these messages! There are SO many benefits from living alcohol-free, including (but not limited to) improved mental and physical health, better finances, better sleep, and more time for the things you love. It can be difficult to take that leap of faith, especially if you're not sure where to begin. I’ve put together this list of five tips to help get started!

1. Find your support system

One of the most important things you can do when making any kind of lifestyle change is to surround yourself with people who will support and encourage you. If you're trying to live alcohol-free, find friends or family members who are already living AF themselves, or who are interested in doing so. Share this new goal with them! It’s something to be so proud of.

There are also many sobriety-support groups available both in-person and online that can provide valuable information, resources, and social support (keep your eyes peeled on our resources page for weekly additions!)

Instagram has been key for me to find events, activities, and other sober individuals - all it takes is a leap to connect with others. Try searching the hashtags #alcoholfreelifestyle #boozefreelife and #sobercommunity to find other likeminded individuals.

2. Set realistic goals

If you're trying to quit drinking completely, setting a goal of going alcohol-free for one week or month is a great place to start. Once you've achieved that, you can gradually increase the length of time you go without drinking. Remember, it's important to be patient with yourself and to take things one day at a time (ODAAT.)

3. Find alternative activities

One of the biggest challenges of living alcohol-free is finding things to do that don't revolve around drinking - especially if your crew drinks! The good news is the alcohol-free beverage industry is booming. Forbes magazine, citing Neilsen statistics, says the non-alcohol sector has grown 506 per cent since 2015 and anticipates future growth for the category will hit 7.1 per cent by 2025. Isn’t that amazing? Enjoying a booze-free bev while out with friends is becoming more of a social norm.

Check out Sober Space - your free go-to sober travel concierge app. They make it easy to find sober-friendly spots, from restaurants that offer alcohol-free cocktails to events and activities that don’t revolve around alcohol.

4. Be prepared for challenges

There will be times when living alcohol-free is difficult, and it's so important to be prepared for those challenges. If you have a specific event or situation that you know will be challenging, plan ahead and come up with a strategy for how you'll handle it. Remember your why, and play the tape forward of what would happen if you did drink (I like to think about the hangover and anxiety aka hangxiety that would follow - yuck.) It's also helpful to have a few alcohol-free drinks on hand (reach out to me for recommendations) to avoid temptation to drink booze.

5. Reward yourself

Last but not least, don't forget to reward yourself for your successes! When you reach a milestone, take some time to celebrate. Treat yourself! Do a little dance! Whatever you do, make sure it's something that makes you happy and helps you feel proud of your accomplishments.

Living alcohol-free doesn't have to be difficult. By following these tips, you'll be on your way to a healthier, happier, and more fulfilling life.

Cheers to that!

xo Hayley

Disclaimer: It's hard to stop using substances, even when you want to. Help is available. Addiction can be a heavy load to carry. It can get better with support.

For help in Canada click here

here if you’re in the USA

+ here if you’re in the UK.