Forget hot girl summer. Sober summer is on-trend! Imagine looking and feeling your best because you've switched your beverage of choice to a nonalcoholic cocktail instead of shot of tequila. If you're considering taking a break from alcohol or cutting back when temps rise, we've compiled a few tips.
- Find Your Why! Is it your health? Is it curiosity? Is it your friends, family, or loved ones? New Season, new rules for nonalcoholic beverages! Get clear on YOUR reason and come back to that reason when you're tempted to reach for alcoholic beverage when your head tells you nonalcoholic is the right choice.
- Be Prepared! How do you reach any goal? Your prepare of course! Sober, or sober-curious is no different. If you're headed to an event that typically involves alcohol, wedding, graduation, baby shower, backyard BBQ, or anything else, make a plan for how you will stick with nonalcoholic beverages. For instance, how will you respond if some asks if you want a beer? Our favorite--"What nonalcoholic options do you have?" If someone says: "You're no fun" when you say you're not drinking, the tell them: "Your definition of fun is very limited." You don't need to explain why you've chosen not to drink but if circle back to your "why" if it feels comfortable.
- Phone a friend! The buddy system is not just for elementary school field trips. It is great for sober-curious summer too. Having a friend or partner during periods of change, make it less scary and increases accountability. Your personal network is a great place to find others questioning their relationship with alcohol and willing to give nonalcoholic beverages a try for a month, a week, or even a night.
- Consider a Non-alcoholic Cocktail. Don't call it mocktail. Why? Because mocktails are for kiddos. You're an adult. But sometimes we want more than water or soda. We associate drinking alcohol with celebrating, fun, and positivity. But the next morning we deal with the negative consequences. (You know what they are.) Keep the positive by switching the drink in your hand to a nonalcoholic cocktail. Keep the fun, toss out the downside.
- Practice not Perfect. Did you have an alcoholic drink? Don't throw in the towel. Sober summer is tough and every day is different. Maybe you want to celebrate with an alcoholic drink, go ahead. Sober-curious is about examining your relationship with alcohol it is not a mandate. Offer yourself forgiveness and move forward.