Sober Snacks #21

Bite size tips & stories to help you not drink today. For the sober and sober curious looking for digestible, on-the-go sober-positive content. These are the stories and lifestyle tips of people who don’t drink. Enjoy :)

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————When asked “what can I get you to drink?”, you say:

I’m truly happy to have water… or I might ask for some lime and lemon in it. But I am not someone who needs a mocktail or anything.

What is the book (or books) you’ve given most as a gift, and why? Or what are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life?

Oh my gosh, the quit-lit books have been my best friends. I LOVE them and narrowing it down to three is tricky!

Mrs. D is Going Without by Lotta Dann.
The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Gray
This Naked Mind Annie Grace. I have definitely given This Naked Mind as a gift a few times as that is how I found freedom from alcohol and now I coach for This Naked Mind!

Within your sobriety, what is one of the best or most worthwhile investments you’ve ever made? (Could be an investment of money, time, energy, etc.)

The best investment I ever made was joining online sober communities. Some cost a few dollars and some cost nothing, but reaching out and connecting with others on the same journey has been absolutely invaluable.

What is an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love and only discovered after you got into sobriety?

Oh wow, I have tried a few new things but the one that I tried recently that I LOVE and want to incorporate into my life regularly is Ice Baths!

Just this past Saturday morning I went down to Manly Beach. We started with breathwork and then we all had a turn hopping into the icy water for 2 minutes. It was incredible! I will be starting all my Saturdays this way. In the in-between times, I make sure I end my showers with cold water.

Which area has changed the most, and for the better, in sobriety: health, wealth, relationships, or spirituality?

I can honestly say that they all have!

I had some health issues I discovered when I stopped drinking and had to work on them, and now I’m at a point where I’m much better. That has been fantastic but it also makes me realize how much worse I could have gotten if I’d kept drinking and masking the symptoms.

Relationships have improved so much as I’m present and just not reacting with impatience and not coming from a place of self-loathing. But all in all, every area of my life is improving.

When someone asks you, “why don’t you drink,” what do you say?

I usually say something like, “I had a good drinking career, and now I’ve chosen to stop”, or “I choose not to drink as one drink was never enough and I had no off switch”, and another one “I can drink if I want but at this point, I choose not to”.