Sober Curious and the Benefits of Taking a Break from Alcohol

These self-assessments can provide valuable insights and help you decide if you need to cut back or seek professional support. Reframe also offers helpful tools like an Alcohol Spend Calculator and a Sober Days Counter to help you track your progress and see the tangible benefits of reducing your alcohol intake. You can find more information and support on our FAQ page or explore our resources on Mindful Drinking. It’s also important to recognize the role of social influences. Think about your social circle and the environments where you typically drink.

I Tried ItI gave up drinking for a month — and what I learned about myself surprised me

• It’s so much easier for heavy to moderate drinkers to quit the booze if they have a support system in place.
• Any goal, whether moderation or abstinence, is a step in the right direction.

And we start to ascribe our actions to like who we are as a person, like, this is just who I’ve always been. And so understanding that cycle, and it first helped me really understand my drinking, it helped me really understand when I was just like, I wasn’t even planning to drink. And then like, I don’t know, like, I just polished off a bottle, right? Where I was only going to have a glass, I was going to be good tonight. So it helps me understand my patterns around drinking, but then it really was the, it was the framework to really understand all of my patterns.

The Birthday Gift That Keeps on Giving: Sobriety

Explore Mingle Mocktails’ collection of alcohol-free drinks designed for mindful sipping, anytime. You might also notice how your social life shifts. Without alcohol, conversations often get deeper, mornings feel easier, and you become more aware of what truly brings you joy.

Reflecting on the Experience

• I mean if I want to not be tempted, if I don’t want to have to deal with temptation and deal with my desire, well the only way to do that is to sequester myself on top of the mountain.
• Apps like Reframe offer evidence-based programs, personalized tracking tools, and resources to help you manage cravings and build healthier habits.
• Although alcohol might make you feel drowsy initially, it actually disrupts your sleep cycle, particularly the REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep, which is critical for feeling refreshed.
• Alcohol has a lot of calories in it, even if you drink spirits or light beers.
• By this metric, it’s easy to justify consuming alcohol to excess because so many people are doing it.

Because we’re so focused on like, Oh, God, like I feel awful last night was awful. And why can I learn my lesson and, you know, we’re not focused on these kind of like underlying issues that are going on that actually really are fueling the habit. And I’ll just say this for everyone listening, because, you know, when https://ecosoberhouse.com/ I talk about my experience, sometimes people will be like, oh, well, that’s not, that’s not true for me at all. You know, it’s not like it’s not like a social thing, or I don’t have anxiety. When it comes to drinking we learned many, many, many things.

A different way to get sober

This reflective practice fosters a deeper understanding of how taking a break impacts your life and allows you to visualize the progress you’re making. It can motivate you to stay the course when challenges arise, reminding you of just how far you’ve come. Every change comes with challenges, and understanding your triggers can make it easier to navigate your break from drinking. Start observing when you feel the urge to drink. Is it during social situations, stressful moments, or perhaps when unwinding after a long day?

Take A Break From Drinking Podcast

To stop drinking alcohol, you first need to understand your relationship with drinking. From there, how long should i take a break from alcohol you may need social support, consistent self-care, and new routines that can help redirect your mind. In your mind, sobriety means giving up a large part of this social life and all of the people you drink with. You may not think about this constantly, but it’s in the back of every drinker’s mind. It’s one of the things that all recovering alcoholics warn you about. Deciding to quit drinking can be incredibly difficult.

Your Health

You don’t have to drink just because others are, and you shouldn’t feel pressured to accept every drink offered. Try something simple like, “I’m good for now, thanks,” or “I’m pacing myself tonight.” If you feel comfortable, you can be more direct and say you’re not drinking tonight. If you find certain people consistently pressure you to drink, it might be helpful to limit your time with them while you’re focusing on your goals. If someone close to you is struggling with their drinking, encourage them to talk about it. Sharing specific examples of how their drinking affects you or others can be more helpful than issuing ultimatums.

I Know It’s Not Good for Me but I Love the Taste

Research drug addiction has also shown that taking a month-long break from alcohol can be good for the liver. Being sober curious is about reflecting on what impact alcohol has on your life. This reflection process can take different forms.

Ways to Cut Back or Quit Drinking

This was always the million dollar question for me. You won’t be surprised to know that I got into this work because of my own challenges and struggles with alcohol myself and so figuring out how I could do this? How I could figure it out, and still feel like I was enjoying myself and not missing out, that was something that I really wanted to solve and I did and I want to show you how do you do it too. So let me give you a really, really short truncated version of my story with drinking. When you’re ready to take what you’re learning on the podcast to the next level, come check out my 30-day Take a Break Challenge. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.