I’m Millie Gooch, founder of the Sober Girl Society, here to bring you some brilliant tips on tackling Sober Spring – the three-month break from alcohol.
As with any major event or life-change, the key to success usually lies in the preparation and five years of living alcohol-free has given me a pretty good idea of how to set yourself up for victory when it comes to binning the gin and embarking on a period of teetotalism.
So, without further ado, here are my top tips for your first week on the wagon:
Although it’s tempting to keep this decision a secret between me, myself and I, entrusting at least one person in your life is important for a few reasons. First, it makes the decision real. You’ve put it out into the world, you’ve set the wheels in motion and if you believe in manifestation – all the better. Second, it gives you some form of accountability, especially if you ask said confidant if they can check in with you. Lastly, you’ll have some support and if I’ve learned anything about giving up alcohol, it’s that it’s much, much harder to go it alone.
Five years ago, I had to scour the local library to get my hands on dust covered ‘Quit Lit’ but these days the landscape looks quite different. From podcasts and apps to blogs and social media accounts, there are so many brilliant tools for changing your relationship with alcohol. Of course, you’ll be getting these weekly email blasts of wisdom from friends of Alcohol Change UK, but you can never be too prepared.
Triggers are basically things that make you want to reach for the nearest wine/pint glass. They can be people (like your boss), emotions (like stress) or even something as obscure as the weather or certain genres of music. Of course, it’s impossible to avoid our triggers, quitting your job is not a caveat of taking part in Sober Spring and stress is a normal human emotion but by identifying what makes you turn to alcohol, you can start to put tools and defences in place.
