5. How to Successfully Explore Sobriety
Almost one year ago to date, I wrote a blog titled “Sober Girl Summer” where I debuted my love for going out sober. At the time, I felt the need to explain why I stopped drinking, including the health issues that I faced leading up to my decision to part ways with an activity that continued to worsen my overall well-being.
Since Sober Girl Summer 2023 has just started, I am proud to say that I have just hit my 6-month mark, the longest I have ever gone without alcohol. The past two-plus years have been an on and off again relationship with a substance that was used as a way to mask my true essence. The first half of this year has been transformational in so many ways, and I want to share my experience on how you can save your time, money, energy, and memories from drinking alcohol as well.
DISCLAIMER: I am not a medical professional or licensed therapist. I am speaking from personal experience as someone who did not struggle with alcohol addiction, but as someone who decided to stop drinking as a lifestyle choice. All of the information in this article is to encourage anyone who is “sober curious” while keeping in mind that sobriety is easier said than done for many people.
First things first, if you’ve made it this far, you’re awesome. Second, if you’re looking to cut back on alcohol, or even quit cold turkey, I am happy to announce that there are many people that don’t drink for a plethora of reasons. You are not alone, despite how society makes us feel. We are convinced that you have to drink to be cool, keep up, and have fun, and I find it to be quite the opposite. This is not to judge or criticize anyone that decides to partake in drinking culture whatsoever; this is just to encourage people that might feel isolated in their decision to not drink.
Whatever has led you to this point in your life where you’re wanting to lead a healthier lifestyle, I commend you. Choosing not to drink has been one of the most rewarding decisions of my life, and while it took me over two years to officially quit, I am here to tell you that slow and steady wins the race. Since the end of 2020, I would go anywhere from 1 month to 3 months without drinking, knowing that it no longer served me; yet, I would somehow always find myself back with another drink in my hand for any occasion that required my consciousness to be hindered. At this point, I can confidently say that I have lost all interest in the aforementioned.
Along my journey over these past 6 months, I have become so clear on my goals, the energy I surround myself with, and the highest version of myself that I now get to show up as. It feels so good to be intentionally moving through life, attracting abundance in all forms, and radiating the kind of energy that simply cannot be bought. The version of me that you experience online when I’m not in hermit mode, is the same that you experience in person, and I say that with pride.
My greatest realization from this entire experience is that I never needed to mask who I was to be accepted. I needed to accept myself first, and the desire to wear a mask slowly slipped away. So, although this is just the beginning of this year's Sober Girl Summer, I want to say cheers to everyone that is starting out on their own journey, and to whoever’s just along for the ride - being authentically you looks good.
