Welcome to Dry January! Congrats on taking this step in exploring and disrupting your relationship to booze! This is huge and I want to congratulate you on this! To set yourself up for a successful month, there are many things you can do right now.
I love reading so I naturally gravitate towards books (audiobooks work well, too!). Some of my fave books on sobriety/addiction/recovery include:
Sober Curious by Ruby Warrington
Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitaker
This Naked Mind by Annie Grace
The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Gray
The Sober Lush by Jardine Libaire and Amanda Eyre Ward
Cultivating community is key! Given covid and physical distancing, looking online to find community can be a great option! Some of my fave accounts on Instagram include:
@1000hoursdry
@karla_is_sober
@thesoberkates
@recoveryfortherevolution
@the_sober_climb
@wearesober
@carlybbenson
@servedupsober
@soberblackgirlsclub
@she_recovers
Whether from your community above or friends and family, support is essential. If you’re looking for hands-on support, accountability and tools for lasting change, hiring a sobriety coach will ensure you’ve got exactly what you need to succeed, especially if you’re contemplating sobriety beyond the end of January. Coaches not only provide everything I’ve listed above and more but also support you in accelerating your results, helping you get where you want to go faster.
Research some fun, creative and tasty mocktails so that you’re set up for your next social event/party/Zoom happy hour. There are tons of awesome recipes out there plus many incredible alcohol-free (AF) brands like Gruvi and Seedlip.
Pro Tips:
* Make a decision: all change starts with a rock solid, ironclad decision. This is always the first step.
* Get clear on your why: having clarity around why you’re doing what you’re doing is key. As is the emotional connection to that.
* Just effing do it: now that we’ve set you up for success, the next part is to do the damn thing. Sustained action is what creates change, not thinking about change.
Good luck! You can do this and it could be the most life-changing experience of your life, if you let it! Cheering you on and don’t be afraid to reach out if you need support!