Picture the scene: you’re boarding the plane to fly home after a trip away somewhere sunny…
You’re tanned, but you feel terrible.
Days of back-to-back drinking have taken their toll… and you’re glad to be heading home to recover.
If you’ve ever regretted drinking on vacation – yet you can’t picture being sober on holiday – there’s something you need to know…
Key points:
The cost of a boozy holiday
Alcohol interrupts your sleep and makes you bloated and dehydrated. It’s unlikely you’ll fly back home feeling rested and recharged if you’ve been on a boozy holiday, drinking from lunchtime each day. It feels horrible to board the plane home thinking about how you’ve got to start over with “being good” as soon as you get back: eating sensibly, losing weight, not drinking. You literally need a holiday to recover from your holiday!
The upgrade con
We’ve been conditioned to think that alcohol is part of relaxing on holiday or part of treating ourselves. That’s why so many people pay for “upgrades” that involve alcohol e.g. all-inclusive drinks packages or expensive fizz when you arrive… There are a lot of people who benefit financially from trying to keep you in this trap, where alcohol is positioned as an upgrade or an essential part of a good experience.
Stop giving alcohol all the credit
It’s not drinking by the pool that’s relaxing. Lying on a sun lounger by the pool is relaxing in its own right. It’s not alcohol that’s going to help you have a good time with your partner, family or friends. It’s the fact that you’re spending quality time together, in a nice location, without normal life getting in the way. Your lovely, relaxing, joyful holiday does not need liquid poison in order to be good… but when you put alcohol in your glass, you put all of it at risk.
Visualise this
Picture the moment when you’re waiting to board the plane home. One of the cabin crew greets you as you get on the plane. How do you want to feel in that moment? Exhausted? Thinking that going back to work will be a break for you? Or do you want to feel rested? Happy? And like you’ve discovered this secret hack to upgrading your experiences?! I invite you to give sobriety a test drive abroad this summer. I think you’ll love it.
19 responses
Absolutely excellent talk
Thank you Kate
I’m almost 100 days AF and one of my next goals is a sober holiday. I experienced exactly what you talk about in that video and I want to actually recharge on my next one
Thanks Kate for all your great content!
Kudos to you for nearly reaching 100 days! Opting for an alcohol-free holiday is definitely worth considering for an upgraded experience. 🙂
I loved this talk. I am alcohol free for 933 days…..I am so incredibly grateful to you and your team for helping me to accomplish that milestone. I find your talks like these reinforce my commitment and strengthen my resolve to stay AF. I am going away in 2 weeks and this helps me remember all the reasons why I will continue to “stay the course”. Thank you for all of your talks. Much gratitude.xo
You are so welcome Susan and wishing you the most wonderful holiday with memories to cherish. ❤️
Wow that’s along time !! Great for you, inspiration for me ! I’m on day 3 it’s only 10:00 am, thanks Monica
I have been alcohol free for 2 years and I feel my brain has really been programmed after listening to this….. I still think about “drinking to have fun” which is such a lie!!!! Alcohol free living is TRULY an upgrade and I’m glad I listened to this as I need to constantly reprogram that negative thinking!!!! Thanks Kate!
I’m delighted that reinforcing the truth about alcohol has aided you. You’re doing incredibly well; two years is a remarkable achievement!
This exactly describes my holidays before I quit booze — after taking your course btw!
From Beeb: This is the truth and there is no way around it. My sister-in-law, mother-in-law, niece and I treated my sister-in-law for her 50th birthday on a trip to Hawaii. We were stuck on a layover in Arizona for what was supposed to be 2 hours. We wound up there for 12 hours, missing a day in Hawaii. Needless to say, and as frustrated as we were, we spent a good part of the afternoon at the bar, just passing time and soothing our frustrations. When we finally got to Hawaii at 3:00am Hawaii time, we had gotten only a few hours of sleep. The first thing we did after much coffee, was head to the pool bar and drank for a good part of the afternoon. We did manage to see some great sights, but not without drinks before, during and after every excursion. The night of my sister-in law’s birthday, we took her to dinner. I had 4 martinis. Fortunately, we were walking, or should I say stumbling back to the hotel. Everyone drank, but not as much as me. We had a snorkeling trip the next day and I was sick as a dog. On our first stop, I had to go to the bathroom to make myself sick. It’s the only thing that made me feel better. It was a bus trip, so you can imagine the bumps and twists and turns. It wasn’t pretty. By the end of that day, I felt better. But at dinner, we all ordered beer (bite the hair of the dog, as they say). It did make me feel better, but that experience seemed to ruin the trip for me because I felt such remorse and self loathing. I actually couldn’t wait to get home and try to become normal again. How stupid is this, being in such a beautiful place. But as you say, alcohol is everywhere, to the ends of the earth. There’s no getting away from it. Thanks for letting me share.
Thank you for sharing your story so honestly; I hear the regret in your words. It’s true we live in an alcohol centric world where it is glamourised and romanticised, but it’s just a crude, toxic sedative that ruins special memories like holidays. There is another way to live your one and only life and I’d love to show you how: https://thesoberschool.com/course/
I’ve had some wonderful holidays with my family, including grown up daughters and their partners where alcohol has definitely been an ingredient. Looking back, what I’m thinking is that what is most affected for me are the memories. They’re still lovely but probably not quite as vivid and picture-perfect as they would’ve been without booze. Which is a bit of a shame. Next holiday, I will still, at this stage, miss the early evening routine, but will just try to remember that I’ll not miss a second.
You won’t miss out on anything and can still relish your early evening routine while on holiday, simply with a different beverage in your glass. 🙂
Into my 4 week vacation by 2 weeks and sober free. On day 34 of the Sober School . Have enjoyed everyday so far and can remember everything we’ve said and done. This would not have been the case if I’d have been drinking wine, sangria and cocktails. I’d have got sunburnt from falling asleep on a sunbed. Been in bed by 8pm and not getting up bright and breezy before 9am at the earliest. Here I am having had fruit, oats and yogurt for breakfast, cooked my hubby a fry up. Going to have a shower then a lovely walk around the town, popping in somewhere for lunch and an AF Freedam lager to wash it down. Have had one day where I fancied a glass of wine and treated myself to a bottle from the supermarket. Nowhere near as nice as those available in UK and twice the price at least. I won’t be buying that again. Tan is coming on nicely. No sunburn and feeling great. Thanks Kate and Sober School I don’t think I could have done it on my own 🙂
What a wonderful upgrade, Sheila! You’ll return home rejuvenated, as if you’ve truly had a relaxing break. 🙂
Hi Kate
I have been alcohol free since starting you getting unstuck course in Jan23. My life has changed so much and all for the better.
Everything in your video is so true. My holidays are now about appreciating what is around me, what I am doing, being able to do everything I want and not feeling sick and ashamed every morning.
I’m not worried about how much drinks are as I used to drink loads to keep up that second drink feeling, costing a fortune.
I use your ‘play the movie forward’ in all aspects of my life now.
Thank you
You’re very welcome Sonya and it’s fabulous to hear that your holidays are now exactly what they’re meant to be – relaxing and enjoyable!
I’m on day 136. I’ve now done 2 holidays and a hen weekend in that time AF. I have to say whilst the Hen weekend was hard AF the holidays harder. Makes no sense really, my partner doesn’t drink. But I really miss the wind down evenings with a drink, just being really honest. I’ve not caved or bought any but I have had alcohol free alternatives once or twice. One thing I have enjoyed is no hangovers, no late starts or cancelled plans because of hangover, so I have really enjoyed the holidays. I just wonder how long I will still have occasions when I miss it? And how I get past the guilt/regret that I feel?
It’s wonderful that you’ve discovered the advantages of abstaining from alcohol during holidays, which includes not disrupting your plans and facilitating early mornings. Nevertheless, if you hold any belief that alcohol is beneficial to you, then choosing not to drink may seem like a sacrifice. The approach I use in my ‘Getting Unstuck’ coaching program is to demonstrate how rewarding alcohol-free living can be when done correctly and with the proper mindset. Find out more here: https://thesoberschool.com/course/