This is a great time of year to stop drinking or experiment with an alcohol-free lifestyle.
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The busy summer months are over, the kids have returned to school, we’re back into a regular routine and Christmas is still ages away … (phew!)
Recently I’ve had lots of people asking for some help getting started with sobriety. So, this week I thought I’d go back to basics and share three key tips to help you kickstart a break from booze.
Ready for an awesome, alcohol-free adventure this autumn?
Let’s begin…
The breakdown…
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1. Start building your sober toolbox
A sober tool is anything you use as a coping mechanism, to change or relieve the way you feel, and to help you deal with the ups and downs of life.
2. Establish a support network
It makes such a difference when you’ve got a support system, or someone who can relate to what you’re going through, and be there to listen and encourage you.
3. Challenge your beliefs about booze
Don’t fall for the myths, illusions and marketing hype – alcohol is just a drug. When you get clear on what it does and doesn’t do, it’s a lot easier to quit, because you don’t feel as if you’re missing out.
And remember…
You don’t have to quit forever. (That’s way too intimidating!) But if you want to satisfy your curiosity and test drive sobriety properly, you do need to put some space between you and your last drink. I recommend taking a break from booze and giving it 100%. Don’t question the decision until you hit your goal. Then – and only then – can you decide what you do next.
Don’t forget to download your free printable 🙂
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It’ll help you get stuck into the three tips I talk about in the video.
Let me know in the comments below if you’re going to be taking a break from booze this autumn and how long for.
Have a fantastic, hangover-free week!
Kate
x
73 responses
Gonna try and quit for October
why just try?
Not everyone has will power. I have a goal now so will do it
Brilliant go for it!! .. Think how amazing you will feel 🙂
I am doing it now . While raising money for macmillan
Feeling rubbish again this morning. Have decided it’s time to stop. I’m hoping being on here will help. I need to make a change for family, for money reasons, for health reasons but most of all for myself.
Day 15 now . Feeling good
Great, go for it Victoria – commit to it and you’ll do it!
Do what Kate suggests. It works!
Preparing for my booze free day, week or month. It will be a huge challenge for me as ime also quitting fags, going through a marriage breakdown and struggling with lots of issues besides. Wish me luck and hope the support of knowing ime not alone even when it feels like I am keeps me strong. I pray i get the strength to change my toxic self loathing life and gain respect and perspective once again for myself. Finding this blog may well rescue me.. Thank you Kate in advance.
Has my post been delivered found this haRd to do
What are you referring to Dee? We don’t send anything in the post! If you’ve signed up for one of my free guides and it hasn’t arrived, make sure you check your junk or promotions folder.
Sorry Kate was referring to what I posted in your comments box. Sorry for confusion would love your support x
No worries – it looks like it all posted ok 🙂
Yes! Just do your best hun:)
Well this could not have come at a better time. I just turned 54 and first day of Autumn is this week. I live in New York which is intense jn it self and i have found that my consumption of alchohol has increased steadily to the point where i am very unhappy and my relationships have become strained…so heres to autumn to first day of winter booze free!
In a bad place. Have to resign from a very stressful job due to poor performance. I know this is because of the effects of alcohol. I know this is my own rock bottom. Have destroyed my professional reputation. But I need to accept that and move on. Am going to use you all in my toolbox. So relieved to find this resource as aa is not for me. Would appreciate any support
Hi Nora, How are you getting on?
My Goal is to quite for 90 days. This will put me past the New Years. I really want a sober holiday season.
I am going alcohol free from today until December 1st. And I will take it from there then…
Fabulous. You will be feeling so good by December!
Still not had a drink since 23rd aug !!…feel amazing x
Brilliant Tracy, well done! It’s great how quickly you feel the benefits 🙂
Hi Kate and thank you for all the great advice and tips. Today is my first day (last drink was yesterday about 5pm) and I committed to 90 days. I feel good about my decision and will take it an hour at a time if I have to. Thanks again!
90 days is a great goal. Here’s to many hangover-free mornings!
Need to stop my daily wine o’clock urgently!!
Quitting as of today, using your tips to avoid lapsing early evening! I’ve found your advice very useful. Thank you!
Stick it out Jo, you’ll be so pleased you did when you wake up tomorrow! Hangover-free mornings are the best 🙂
Thank you for this Kate, from today I am setting myself a target of four weeks – I am feeling motivated
Brilliant. Four weeks off will feel good!
I am stopping one day at a time.
Hi,
I gave up alcohol on the 22nd Feb 2016 so have a fair few months under my belt now.
Best thing I ever did in every way possible. I have my self respect back, my peace of mind, my time, my skin, my concentration ! You name it. X
Congratulations – and what a great list! The benefits of an alcohol-free lifestyle are huge 🙂
Hi Kate. I am on Day 1. Going to target 4 weeks.I really want to give it up for good though.
Thank You for your helpful advice.
Four weeks is a great place to start! Go for it Mary 🙂
I am planning to take a break from booze. I have been given so many wonderful gifts in this lifetime that I’m taking a break to enjoy them
I have 65 days sober and these tips are still incredibly helpful! Kate I love this website and am so happy you were inspire to run it! THANK YOU!
Also, I really liked the video! It makes me feel that we are sitting together working on this challenge together 🙂
Thanks Karley, and congratulations on your 65 days!
Day 1 of 100 starts today. Wish me luck.
Cheeers
From Brisbane Australia
Hi I am really motivated and I am going to give up alcohol for one month starting from today. thank you x
Hi thank you, I have set myself a target of 4 weeks xx
Awesome, four weeks is a great place to start 🙂
I’m having trouble with social situations but doing well when I’m in my schedule
What tools do you suggest for social situations???
I really struggle in this social area so any help would be great !
Hi Kat, this is exactly the kind of thing we cover in detail on my stop drinking course. The next session starts in October – I hope you’re able to join us for it! https://thesoberschool.com/course
I quit alcohol March 14th 2016 it was the bet decision I’ve ever made. I took up hiking with meetup.com and haven’t looked back. This past summer I did 2 backpacking trips one to the Juan de Fuca Trail, 5 days 47 km’s and the second was 50 k’s on the Sunshine Coast Trail. I’m having more fun and living lots of adventures. People message me all time being envious of all the fun and adventures I’m experiencing. This would never be happening if I was still drinking. Kate gave some great advice changing the way one thinks about alcohol is key. There is certainly something wrong with society when the sober one is looked upon strangely or wrong for not drinking, that how conditioned we are…Have a great day everyone and keep up the
positive vibes!!
I would like to stop drinking as I hate the way it makes me feel the next day. As I’m getting older the hangovers are getting worse, I don’t sleep well and am so tired the next day. However when I don’t drink I feel very lethargic the next day too so it’s a bit on a catch 22 for me. I would rather just say no to social events but people just don’t like you saying no. I really need motivation to make me stop and I struggle and fight it hard every day. Last week I had 3 sober days and this is how I work it by taking one day at a time. I would like to just not touch any but find it really hard.
I want t live an alcohol free life starting today.
Hi Kate, I’ve been sober for about 2 1/2 years. I really enjoyed your video, very clear with great tips. Thank-you!
I’m stopping until Xmas, ive only had the odd one over the past few weeks , I’m scared not to have any socially or with a meal, so much more focused without the hangovers and self loathing and bad skin after
Thanks for all the tips , it helps
I’m trying to quit but there is always some event coming up that makes me go oh, I’ll definitely stop after, so I don’t bother quitting. In three weeks I’m going on all inclusive holiday to Mexico with free drinks on the flight, the idea of not having any feels absolutely impossible. Does anybody have any advice? I’d really appreciate it.
I think you’ve kind of answered your own question here! There will always be something – a wedding, a holiday, a birthday.. There will always be a reason why now isn’t a good time. Sometimes you just have to make it the right time. Life’s too short to let alcohol hold you back. (Have you experienced an alcohol free holiday yet? They’re amazing. You actually come home feeling well rested and like you’ve had a proper break.) If you’d like some support to stop drinking – and some help to come at this from the right mindset – then my online course will really help. The final class of 2017 starts soon: https://thesoberschool.com/course/
I am on my 8th day sober. I plan on a 90 day break…It’s not easy but I am determined to see what 90 days of sobriety does for me and my life.
Hi Kate, I have been sober for 1 month and 3 days. I am aiming for 100 days sober. So far the benefits have far outweighed the negatives, I have been able to go out socially without the social lubricant that is alcohol, I have been more relaxed and better at communicating with my husband as well as losing weight and having more energy. Now you are probably thinking if it’s going so well, why would you question it? I am currently looking for a new job and under a lot of stress. I have started to question my non-drinking and what I am trying to prove by not drinking. Today is the first day I’ve felt like getting off the wagon and asking myself is it really worth it…
Drinking will make that stress sooooo much harder to deal with. You’re doing yourself a favour by not boozing, no question!
9 days today, I haven’t gone without drinking this long in years. I feel great now, the first few days I had a terrible headache and couldn’t sleep but I seem to have gone past that and feel full of energy. I’m not putting a time line on if and when I drink again I do want to give it a decent amount of time and see how I feel though. At the moment I don’t have any intention of having a drink any time soon when I feel so good.
Giving it a go binge drinking at 64 is not good’not remembering going home by taxi is frightening
I have done a week now and feel amazing. I have told my partner and best friend about my concerns with my drinking and they are supporting me when it comes to the witching hour. I make sure I either walk the dogs or do household stuff. I also find I have more energy and have already lost half a stone! So thank you sober school for giving me the kick start that I needed to break the cycle of drinking then hating myself then drinking to cheer myself up! I find I am more interested in other things now rather than just when is the next opportunity to have a drink. I always thought I would be mute in conversations without wine however because I have stopped hating myself I am gaining confidence and am quite funny naturally without a drink. It hasn’t been easy and each day I have about an hour of feeling really arsey and could bite peoples heads off but then that clears and I’m pleased the next morning I didn’t give in.
Brilliant – keep going!
Thank you Kate so much for your amazing videos and inspiration. You have helped me so much. I am on day 142 now. I never thought I would get this far. I love and cherish this new found crystal clarity every day and night 🙂
Fantastic – congratulations Jules! Sounds like sobriety really suits you 🙂
Kate it’s wonderful to see such a positive message about living AF – I have struggled with my wine consumption and have come to the conclusion there will be may more positives in my life without it and I’m starting on my journey today.
A big challenge for me as failed so far this year but going to give it a go
I have selected today, September 19th as my start date…getting prepped for your next course beginning October 2nd. Looking forward to this. I think it’s finally my time:)
9/19/17
I’m done with the crappy sleeping and grumpy mornings and extra calories.
On the 1st Sept I decided no more wine for the month. It’s the 20th now and I haven’t given in. My bank balance is definitely better! I did suffer with headaches for the first week but that’s passed now. It’s not bothering me like I thought it would. My sleeping is better, no feeling a ‘bit off’ the next morning after 1 glass too many. I thought I might have lost a llb or 2 due to not taking in all those extra calories, but I guess you can’t have everything
I’m going for it, my third day today, taking it one-day at a time I’ve known for a while something needed doing but it wasn’t until my eldest son said he was worried about me that I have finally woken up to the fact it needs sorting now
So update from original post, failed!!!!! 1st of October, started again, this time ❤️
I have been trying to stop binge drinking for quite some time now, make it a day or two and then my resolve ends and I revert back, telling myself I’ll now stop as the hangover and poor sleep kick in the day after. I just stumbled upon your website and, with its tips, I intend to aim for 30 days of no drinking to start. Thank you for this website!
I’m on day 9, and so far so good! Had known for ages that 15 plus years of daily drinking had to come to an end- it was making me so unproductive, regretful and concerned for my health. Have been preparing for a month or so, reading lots of blogs and books to prepare my mind- I’m not sure I’m that physically addicted (fingers crossed) but my mind certainly is! I have intense cravings at times but I’m chipping away at them and trying not to think too far ahead- i.e Christmas- which is where my mind keeps wondering. I haven’t committed to any timeframes just hoping that the benefits convince me not to go back to where I was! Good luck everyone and thanks Kate- your blog was one of the first I read and I found it very inspiring!
Kate, I am on day 38 and feel amazing. My skin is better, my sleep is better, my meds work better. I will have more clarity on whether my marriage is worth saving too. Do I feel I married the wrong man so I drank it away? Or did drinking make me feel I married the wrong man and cloud my brain space with negative irritation. 37 nights ago I drove two of my four children to soccer blacked f-ing out. Had enough sense to call a friend to pick us all up. I could have killed several people. Including my own children. I have PTSD about it and will never. Ever. Go back. Whatever God there is gave me the gift of a lifetime. I know I’m in the Honeymoon phase of not drinking and time will only tell me that it just sucks all the way around. I’m committed for 100 days, but my gut is telling me, as it tells all of your followers, something is so blatantly obviously wrong with alcohol. Keep being there for us. XO
I have only just come across this website and a lot of what is written rings so true. After an alcohol fuelled weekend and week now is the time to do something about it, I feel so ill and shakey today and I’m sitting here thinking why do I inflict this on myself. So I’m going to start today and put my life back together Here goes !!
So sick of this, failed twice now!!! On my third day again, fingers crossed
I’m going to do the alcohol free autumn.
I’m tired of everyday drinking and am worried about my health but by evening I always give in.
I’m hoping this works and look forward to sobriety.