Alcohol seems to be everywhere at this time of year.
It’s piled high in the shops on special offer. It’s on the Christmas cards with those “GIN-gle bells” jokes. It’s in the adverts on TV and at pretty much every festive gathering.
When alcohol is connected to so much, it’s easy to lose your way or feel as if you’re missing out.
So here are four reminders you just might need to hear right now.
Key points
Alcohol is not magic joy juice.
It’s not fun in a bottle or liquid happiness. How do we know? Because of all those times when you’ve drunk loads and haven’t had a good time. Alcohol doesn’t have the power to transform a boring or bad situation into a good one. Otherwise every single night drinking would be fun. People wouldn’t get into arguments. The reality is that drinking at a bad party just means you’re getting drunk at a bad party.
If you want the festive season to be memorable, you’ve got to be sober for it.
Everyone talks about creating special Christmas memories, yet alcohol literally deletes your ability to remember things. When you look back on previous years – honestly – what was the true cost of drinking? I remember Christmas Days with forgotten presents, nearly-burnt dinners and hours spent feeling dreadful wishing the day would end.
Sobriety is worth the awkwardness!
Yes, it can feel uncomfortable to turn down the offer of an alcoholic drink or have people asking questions. But that discomfort is relatively short-lived. It’s nothing compared to the weeks of discomfort that you’ll go through if you drink and break a promise to yourself.
Alcohol doesn’t fix your problems – it keeps you stuck with them.
Christmas can highlight what’s missing or not working in your life. It’s tempting to drink to avoid thinking about absent people, difficult relationships, or unmet expectations. Whilst it’s tempting to paper over the cracks with alcohol, that’s just another trap because continuing to drink means you’re less likely to take action (and more likely to decide you’re unable to change).
Ready to create an alcohol-free life you love? Click here to learn more about my Getting Unstuck course.
15 responses
This! I need a reminder that not everything is ‘jolly’ when I’ve had a few too many. …. play it forward….. what’s it going to look like IF you Drink (again…)… My takeaway is that I won’t allow myself to feel defeated by the big lie… And most of all, I look forward to my family knowing that they don’t have to worry that I may embarrass them (or me!).
Thank you, Kate!
That’s a great strategy Lisa. Sobriety delivers everything alcohol promised, so it’s good to remember that the hype is just that. 🙂
Thank you so much Kate for helping me remember how important it is to not drink alcohol. It just robbed me of many years of my life. I am finally showing up, and boy, I missed a lot! Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays to you too! Alcohol is truly a time thief, so reclaim precious memories this festive season. ❤️
Kate, I have gone through This Naked Mind and Sober Sisters without making any progress. Your blogs are extremely helpful. I’m retired and 70 years old and cannot afford your course but your blogs are a blessing to me. If you ever offer “scholarships” to your program, let me know. I’d love to take part.
Thanks Valerie and I’m pleased to hear my blogs are helpful.
In the past, we’ve had students come to work with us who were initially concerned about the cost. However, after calculating their weekly spend on booze – and seeing how that adds up over a few months – they decided it was a no brainer, and have saved lots of money since!
There’s a payment plan to spread the cost too. https://thesoberschool.com/course/
heart!!!!! I took Kate’s course! I can attest that it will change your life and the cost is COMPLETELY offset by what you spend on alcohol! Please do it !!
Thank you, Kate! I was thinking just today how much I’d like a drink! I am feeling really great after close to 90 days with no alcohol.
Today’s feeling was not a craving….. it had more to do with very cloudy and cold weather for quite a few days; AND the Christmas season when I used to try different types of alcohol.
I am so glad you shared this today to help us all stay focused.
Love from !
Hey Debbie, 90 days is brilliant and all the great feelings of being free from the alcohol trap! The thought of drinking at this time of year is normal with all the associations of the festive season and booze. But remember, it’s just a thought and you don’t have to act on it. Have fun discovering some new AF drinks this year, the market is booming right now. 🙂
A bit off topic but today’s blog post got me wondering when the Boozing around the special event replaced the special event itself? Feels like it’s happened somewhere along the way with nearly all of them: Christmas, birthdays, music festivals, even horse racing carnivals! ( Not that horse races were ever “a thing” for me, never been to any of those). It seems like the only one that hasn’t got a Boozified thing around it is Easter? Is it just me who’s wondering about the alcohol culture that media et al. have got us to build up around Christmas? Is Christmas itself so dreadful that escaping it is what we’re all really wishing for? And if it is, my next question is Why? What are we torturing ourselves with this painful “festival” for them? Sounds like the truth is we don’t really find Christmas, as is, without all the free flowing-booze, all that much fun? Confusing that so many of us ( myself included) have ended up believing we need liquid anaesthetic and induced amnesia to “celebrate”. Can remember as a kid being satisfied with it just being Christmas, my birthday or a day off from school! That was enough to bring the celebration-vibe When did the desire for a boozy drink get injected into the equation for me? *Scratches own head*
Hi Rose, you’re absolutely right the association with alcohol now dominates every type of event. This has been driven by BIG ALCOHOL and is a huge marketing ploy because it’s profitable. You see prosecco at children’s birthday parties, ‘sip and draw’ at painting classes and even wine with yoga these days which is meant to be health focused!
There’s a reason why their budgets are so huge, because they work! But I’m heartened to see the tide changing and little by little, behaviour is moving towards alcohol-free lifestyles these days that I welcome. Join the revolution! 🙂
This is brilliant Kate and it really got me thinking. This will be my third sober Christmas and I’m so glad alcohol is not an issue anymore. I do feel sad for the many Christmas days I spent drinking when my kids were young but I have to put it behind me and enjoy being present and really enjoy being with my family and friends. Thanks so much for your inspirational videos and Merry Christmas!
That’s the true gift of sobriety; being present for your loved ones – priceless. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year! 🙂
This is all so true.
I’m into my third month AF. Two days ago I was handed a glass of champagne by my nephew to celebrate a new job (I have allowed myself to drink the odd glass if an occasion happens and I haven’t planned for it ie have a 0% fizz with me). That was fine. No issue.
Last night my mother handed me a glass of wine, out of habit, as I’m staying with her to help with her Christmas preparations and before I knew it we’d shared a bottle of wine and I didn’t feel like finishing wrapping her presents. I was so cross with myself, awake at 3am, automatically checked for any random texts and dealing with my fuzzy head this morning – however I am seeing it as a plus point – it was a great reminder of why I don’t want to drink anymore and looking forward to genuinely enjoying and remembering all of Christmas.
Once you get clear on your reasons why you want to be alcohol-free, it’s easier to communicate that to others confidently. It gets easier with practise to politely refuse an alcoholic drink, so try prioritising your own wishes and not those of other people.