Dry January is Over, Now What?
Maybe you just participated in Dry January. You didn’t drink for 31 whole days, huge CONGRATULATIONS to you, you did an awesome thing!
The first couple weeks may have been tough, but it began getting easier to choose not to drink. You kind of like being sober and this new way of living. Your thoughts are clearer, the shadows under your eyes are gone, the redness and puffiness of your face is gone too, and you no longer have hangovers, AMEN to that!!!
Now that you have remained sober the first month of this New Year you may be wondering where to go from here? Do I keep sober, or go back to drinking, or do I try to moderate?
Those questions as well as many others may float through your beautiful brain.
So, what is the answer?
Start by asking yourself, “What did I gain by remaining sober this last month?” Write it all down.
“What benefits did I see in my life by being sober?” “How do I feel when I’m sober compared to when I drink?”
The big thing I noticed once I achieved my first month of sobriety was, I felt a huge sense of relief. I proved to myself I could do this, I could go much more than a day without a drink, I could get through the weekends without a drink, and can even go a full month without a drink. But I made it to each one of those milestones by using the tried-and-true phrase “One Day at a Time”.
So, when the second month came, I had some practice at it, and I brought what I learned about myself that first month into that second month but still continued to learn, educate myself and keep connected to a community of others who were also working at having a sober lifestyle (the Be Sober Community run by Simon Chapple).
Plan Ahead
When you head into this second month of your journey look back at what you learned in the first month and put some plans in place.
Did you notice you crave more in the evenings? On the weekends? When you’re cooking dinner?
If you crave more in the evenings, then change up your routine at night. Instead of pouring yourself a glass of wine or cracking open a beer have another alcohol-free drink in place of it maybe an iced tea or hot chocolate and read some quit lit like “The Sober Diaries”, by Claire Pooley or “The Sober Survival Guide”, by Simon Chapple. There’s tons of sober literature out there that you can enjoy while you unwind for the evening.
If you found in January, the weekends were toughest for you then you can make plans to do activities that have absolutely nothing to do with alcohol. Going to the movies, bowling, ice skating, hiking- the choices are endless. But make sure you decide on what you will do to fill your weekend time before the weekend gets here so there’s no surprises.
As far as being in the habit of drinking when cooking dinner, you may want to try eating dinner earlier or having meals prepared ahead of time that you can just pop in the microwave (one of the many things I learned from Simon). Have that special alcohol free drink as you cook too and if you haven’t done so already make sure all alcohol is out of your house, so it’s harder to act on impulse.
Become an Observer
Become an observer of your thoughts and feelings surrounding alcohol and notice how it affects your life. You may find you are much happier without it in your life, you may discover the benefits of remaining sober far outweigh the cost of drinking.
Some benefits I received during my first month included more self-respect and confidence, more self-awareness, respect from my husband and daughter, better sleep, and a desire to live with purpose. What did you observe during your first month alcohol free?
Journal about your journey with alcohol or make a video diary as you move on with your sober self. It will benefit you as you will be able to look back to see what struggles you had, what you overcame, your triggers, your thoughts, and your feelings.
Set Small Goals and Celebrate Your Victories
You don’t need to make any grand decisions right now, like quitting forever. But if you felt good abstaining for January, consider going another month without alcohol. If the thought of going another month seems daunting, then shoot for another week and during that week track the positive changes you’ve noticed. When that week’s up re-evaluate and if you’d like to continue on shoot for another 2 this time.
As the days build up and the more distance you put between you and your last drink the easier it will become.
Be sure to celebrate along the way too! This is a great motivational tool to keep you excited about reaching each goal you put in place for yourself.
You’re doing an amazing and awesome thing. It can be tough in the beginning, but I promise you it will get easier and easier until one day you realize thoughts of alcohol aren’t consuming your every thought and decision.
You’re creating new habits and activities for yourself. It’s a huge change, but I guarantee you that living an authentic sober life is pretty freaking incredible and you will never regret not drinking alcohol. I’m 19 months into my sober lifestyle and I have so much gratitude and joy in my heart, I still get excited about life and all there is for us to enjoy in it.
There is so much more to life than getting drunk. Living a life without alcohol in it is rarely boring, in fact, it’s the most exciting thing I’ve ever experienced, you become a whole new person, it is truly awesome!
'Your windshield is bigger than your rearview for a reason; the mirror is there to help you glance back at where you’ve been, but if you focus too much on it, you’re going to crash.
We are ALL affected by our past and we are ALL reminded of it now and again, but we cannot live in it unless we want to repeat it over and over again. We need to learn from it, take lessons from it, know what’s good (and not good) for us, and adjust accordingly. Mistakes are only mistakes until we learn from them and then they become lessons.'
Love this from the Your Tango blog, it sums up the need for a forward focused growth mindset in sobriety and life in general.
#keepmovingforward #positivequotes #positivity #yourtango #growthmindset #growthquotes #motivationalquotes #motivation #soberquotes #sobrietyquotes #lookforwardnotback #leavethepastbehind #movingforward #quotestagram #selfhelpquotes #positivemindset
Having an amazing time in #Japan and managed to head south out of Tokyo for a few days today to Kamakura by the ocean.
The drinking culture here is totally different to the UK, but all the bars are full, not many AF options either, but I wouldn’t want to visit such an amazing place and spoil it by boozing.
#tokyo #kamakura #tokyonight #tokyoneon #kamakuratemple #japaneseshrine #buddhisttemple #japantravel #tokyotrip #ramen #japaneseculture #japanlife
Wow! Rock Bottom & Rising has won the GOLD medal at the @nautilusbookawards for the best Addiction Recovery Memoir.
The book has 21 incredible stories by real people who have quit alcohol and turned their lives around, it is a truly inspirational read.
So this award is for everyone who contributed to the book, congratulations and thank you!
#bestbooks #nautilusbookaward #nautilusbookawards #nautilusbookawardwinner #sheldonpress #hatchettebookgroup #hodderandstoughton #addictionbooks #adictionmemoir #alcoholbooks #sobrietybooks #soberbooks
Woohoo! Just seen one of my books on the shelf @theworksstores #anxiety #anxietybook #theworks #bookshop #selfhelpbook #bookstore
Just finished recording a piece with @itvnews about the growing number of people quitting alcohol and the sobriety movement as a whole.
It airs next week, so look out for my shiny head on your TV screens.
#itv #sobriety #itvnews #sobermovement #sobercoach #tvinterview #newsstory #alcoholfree #soberlife #sobrietyrules
These two inspiring books from leading sobriety coach Simon Chapple are out today!
Read more...Repost @sheldon.press
Featuring contributions from some of the most well-known personalities in the Sober Space, Rock Bottom and Rising brings us real, raw, relatable stories from individuals who’ve found joy in an alcohol-free life.
The perfect companion to Rock Bottom – The Sober Life Journal captures the essence of journaling and provides space to grow and develop as you embark on a sober life. With hundreds of writing prompts, pages for reflection, focus, inspiration and guided exercises, this beautiful new journal supports your intention to create something lasting and meaningful to accompany you on your journey to an alcohol-free life.
Ideal for anyone contemplating a sober life come the new year, or from #dryjanuary.
Find out more in our bio.
——
#RockBottomandRising #SoberLife #Sober #SobrietyCoach #Sobriety #StopDrinking #Freefromalcohol #AlcoholFree #SoberBook #SimonChapple #BeSober #Howtogosober #quittingalcohol #teetotaller #teetotal #alcoholism #aa #cutdown #alcoholic #thisnakedmind #addiction #problemdrinking #soberjourney
Watch the best videos from my YouTube Stop Drinking Channel
Watch my video below – The Best Quit Alcohol Books
Read on for more of the very best quit alcohol books.
———————————————————————————————————–
MORE HELPFUL RESOURCES FOR STOPPING DRINKING ALCOHOL
———————————————————————————————————–
📖 GET MY NEW STOP DRINKING BOOK HERE – http://a-fwd.com/asin-uk=1529357586&asin-com=1529357586
⚠️ Subscribe to my YouTube channel – there are new stop drinking videos every Tuesday and Thursday.
Don’t miss another video – click below to Subscribe and also click on the Bell Icon to be notified about new videos.
Subscribe to my channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkDiUhERjbdHN0kNXbD8UBQ/?sub_confirmation=1
💡 14 Days Free – Join my Stop Drinking Program:
https://www.joinbesober.com
🌎 Connect with me on a personal level – follow on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/besoberandquit
👥 Join my awesome free private Facebook community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1960061840706240/
If you need some inspiration, check this out…
🎥❤️🔥 My Top 5 favourite videos to help you quit alcohol on your own – watch these now if you are curious about sobriety and becoming alcohol-free:
1 – How I quit alcohol after 40 years – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0ydqjrN0AI
2 – Awesome tactic to stop alcohol cravings fast – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GedYoBZ_W2M&t
3 – 7 tips for the first week of sobriety – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq4x0vBEwMw&t
4 – Does alcohol cause depression and anxiety – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkrQpZPHBls&t
5 – Weight loss and stopping drinking alcohol – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyw9jM0kj5U&t
🌞 MUST WATCH – Check out my most viewed YouTube video – 7 Big Mistakes to Avoid in Sobriety – here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtBxWrju_ng&t
📚 Get the first 10 chapters of my first book totally free here: https://besober.co.uk/2020/08/18/stop-drinking-books-by-simon-chapple-recommended-quit-alcohol-books/
