Stopping Drinking

5 Secrets to achieving Sobriety any time of year

by John Risby

Published: January 03, 2023 Last updated: November 30, 2023

An adventurer relaxing with a hot drink by a river

When we're looking towards self improvement, one popular step is to take a break from drinking and commit to a dry period or long-lasting sobriety. Whether it be for health, financial, or personal reasons, the decision to give up alcohol can be a positive and empowering one; but it’s important to have a plan in place to ensure success. In this article, we’ll provide tips on how to set clear goals, create accountability, reward yourself, and plan for social situations.

Setting Up a Successful Plan

Setting clear goals, and working on a plan, is a great way to create a positive and achievable outcome.

It’s important to think about why you’re avoiding alcohol and what you hope to gain from it.

Writing down your reasons for wanting to stop can also help keep you focused and motivated.

It can be useful to set up an accountability system or plan rewards for each milestone achieved. For example, if you manage not to drink for a whole week, reward yourself with something special.

This will help to reinforce and motivate your commitment to long-term success.

Identifying Your Reasons

One of the key elements of a successful outcome is having a clear reason for why you are avoiding alcohol. This can be anything from wanting to improve your health to saving money, to simply taking a break from alcohol. Writing down your reasons for wanting to stop can also help keep you focused and motivated. It can be helpful to read through your list of reasons whenever you are feeling tempted to drink.

Creating Accountability

Another important aspect of a successful period of not drinking is setting up an accountability system. This can be as simple as telling a friend or family member about your goal, or joining a support group or online community of people who are also giving up. Having someone to check in with and report your progress to can help you stay on track and motivated.

A picture can be worth a thousand words

If you’re someone who has struggled with maintaining sobriety, it may be helpful to keep a visual reminder of your goals and the consequences of drinking. One strategy is to take a photo of yourself when you are feeling and looking your worst after drinking. This could be a photo of you with a hangover, or one where you don’t feel confident about your appearance.

Print out this photo and place it on your fridge or in another prominent location where you will see it every day. Whenever you are considering reaching for a beer or other alcoholic drink, take a moment to look at the photo and remind yourself of the negative consequences that come with drinking. This can be a powerful motivator to help you stay on track and maintain your commitment to sobriety.

It’s important to note that the purpose of keeping a photo like this is not to shame or berate yourself, but rather to serve as a reminder of the negative consequences of drinking and to encourage you to make healthy choices. The goal is to use the photo as a tool to motivate and inspire you to stay on track with your sobriety goals.

Rewarding Yourself

In addition to accountability, it can be helpful to plan rewards for each milestone achieved. For example, if you manage not to drink for a whole week, reward yourself with something special, like a massage or a new book (You could do worse than our Alcohol-Free Community Gratitude Journal, or 12 Weeks To A Sober Life!) This will help to reinforce and motivate your commitment to long-term success.

Planning for Social Situations

It is also important to have a plan in place for handling social situations where alcohol may be present. You may choose to avoid events where alcohol is the main focus, or you can simply tell people that you are avoiding alcohol and don’t want to drink. If you do go out, it can be helpful to have a non-alcoholic drink in hand to avoid temptation, or you can simply opt for water or a soft drink.

Takeaways

Setting a clear goal and plan for AlcoholFree.com January is a great way to create a positive and achievable outcome. By thinking about your reasons for avoiding alcohol, setting up an accountability system, and rewarding yourself for milestones achieved, you can successfully complete a dry month and start the new year off on a healthy and sober note.

Resources

Alcohol-Free Community 2023 Gratitude Journal Paperback via Amazon

12 Weeks To A Sober Life via Amazon

About The Author

John Risby

Co-Founder of The Alcohol-Free Shop and AlcoholFree.com. John is a recovering alcoholic who stopped drinking in June 2004. Born and raised in Manchester, he now lives in Malaga with his wife and young daughter. He came to terms with being an alcoholic many years ago, but still finds the concept his daughter is Spanish very strange.