Drinking and socialising go hand in hand so when people decide to cut back on their drinking or to stop altogether, they are often worried that it will impact on their social life.
I get it – it was one of my biggest fears.
When I first decided to take a break from alcohol, the thought of going to any social event without drinking worried me:
- Would I enjoy myself as much?
- How would I explain to my friends why I wasn’t drinking?
- Would they think I was boring?
- Would I feel that I was being boring?
So many worries. And all of them unfounded.
Ladies’ lunch without the wine? Really?
I recently went to an end-of-year ladies’ lunch with a group of old friends (old as in the number of years we’ve known each other, not in age … although!).
In the past these events were boozy affairs.
They still are – just not for me.
For the past few years I’ve been going to these lunches, as well as every other social occasion, as a non-drinker and I’ve surprised myself with how good it has been.
At the most recent lunch there were women who were indulging in the wine and bubbles, some who only had a couple because they were driving and another woman who, like me, doesn’t drink.
The chat was good, the food was amazing, the laughs were plenty.
I brought along a nice alcohol-free bubbly (Tread Softly Zero Alcohol Prosecco) so I didn’t feel I was missing out. But no-one even cared what was in my glass.
I’ve surprised myself by enjoying these events as much – probably more so – than I did when drinking.
Benefits of alcohol-free socialising
There are so many upsides of not drinking when socialising:
- I’m not worried about becoming tipsy and saying or doing something inappropriate
- I can be in the moment and enjoy the conversation rather than when I’ll have the next drink
- I’m not focused on how much I’m drinking compared with everyone else
- I don’t go home and continue drinking
- I don’t wake up at 3am the next morning anxious about what I said or did the day before
- I don’t spend the next day recovering from a hangover and feeling flat, seedy and regretting drinking too much.
So, if you’re thinking about cutting back or taking a break from drinking but are worried that your social life may suffer, your fears may be unfounded.
Need help?
If you need help in taking back control, you can book in for a free 30-minute discussion call. These calls are like a mini coaching session that are free and with no obligation.
Alternatively, you can find out more about alcohol coaching and how it helps people take back control of their drinking.
Interested in trying alcohol-free drinks?
If you’re interested in checking out some alcohol-free drinks visit the website: Sip & Enjoy
And, if you want a discount, use the code 15Change on check-out to get a 15% discount.