Who else will directly or indirectly benefit from you being alcohol free?
Who’d love to have a happier, hangover-free version of you in their life?
When one person stops drinking, they create a ripple effect that benefits not just themselves, but the people around them.
This is a really important topic and I felt inspired to talk about it after hearing what happened to one of my clients…
Key points
A life-saving example
A client of mine, who’s been sober for 18 months, recently qualified as a community first responder. This means that if there’s an emergency in her area and an ambulance is needed, she’ll also be called to the scene because she might be able to get there faster.
What’s incredible is that she’d wanted to do this kind of volunteer work before she quit drinking. But back then, her drinking meant she couldn’t commit to the training or to being on call. Now she can and it’s only a matter of time before she saves someone’s life.
Your ripple effect might look different
You might be thinking, “OK… but I don’t have any plans to do something like that. My drinking doesn’t actually harm anyone else anyway – I hide it well, always push through a hangover and everything that needs to get done happens. I’m always on it.”
If this is you, I challenge you to reconsider. If you’re sober, hangover free and fully present in your life, there’s no doubt that others will benefit. Even being able to answer a late-night phone call instead of avoiding it (in case you sound drunk) can make a difference to someone else.
Caring for others with clarity and confidence
Maybe you’re the main caregiver for someone in your life. It could be your children, elderly parents, a partner with health struggles or even a pet. Drinking – or the hangovers that follow – can make it harder to give the people (or animals!) you care about the attention they deserve.
I’ve worked with many women who are about to become grandmothers and they’re scared their grown-up children won’t trust them to babysit. For them, ditching alcohol has a huge ripple effect, because it strengthens their relationships with both their children and grandchildren.
The role-model ripple effect
When you stop drinking, others may notice and be inspired, even if they don’t say anything at first. Many of us think we’re the only ones who struggle with alcohol. I certainly did when I first stopped drinking. But I was surprised to find out later that others in my life were facing the same challenges – they just weren’t open about it at the time.
So, if you’re sitting there thinking: “None of my friends, family or colleagues struggle with alcohol the way I do,” you’re probably wrong. Sometimes, people just need someone else to go first.
Who will benefit from your sobriety?
So what does the ripple effect look like for you? Who in your life might benefit from you waking up every day with a clear head, energy, focus and pride? Maybe you’ll be more present for your family, more effective at work, or more available to support your friends.
Take a moment to think about the first thing that comes to mind and let me know in the comments. Remember, it’s not just your life that changes when you stop drinking. The ripple effect extends far beyond you and it might surprise you just how far-reaching it can be.
8 responses
I want to be an example to my two grown daughters. I already see them drinking high amounts of alcohol with their friends on the weekends and at night after work. They both have very high stress jobs and I want to be an example of how to manage stress without alcohol. One daughter is actually a neonatal ICU nurse. And many of her nurse friends drink as well. They are in the health care system and yet so unaware of how damaging alcohol is because of our booze saturated society….its just so normalized.
The ripple effects on your daughters and potentially their work colleagues could be amazing Patti. There is a better way to handle stress and I can show you how to model that in my online course. https://thesoberschool.com/course/ Sometimes, it only takes one person to start a wave of change. 🙂
There are so many people in my life who I feel have benefited from me being Alcohol Free. First and foremost, the man I am in a relationship with has benefitted greatly.. We have been in a relationship for 5 years, the first two years could become erratic with no warning. A good time could go bad with no real reason. He was never a drinker. So it was clearly my shifting moods without warning.that caused the unexpected upset.Not sure I could have admitted that while I was drinking but now I am 3 years AF! Wow! what a difference in how I show up in the world. I am consistent in my behavior, morning,noon and night….what you see is what you get. I have 8 grandchildren ( I am 71)and 2 Kids. I watch them embarking on a world of drinking as all but 2 are now 21 or older. Argh,I want to say Don’t Do IT!! But I can’t because they must take their own journey, but hopefully they notice how much more easily I laugh and how much happier I am, I believe most people in my life drink less when they are around me ,they still drink ,which is their choice, but they are more conscious. I could go on and on but for the moment I express my gratitude to Kate and The Sober School for creating such a safe and honest space to make such an important decision to take my life back. Much Gratitude.
So good to hear from you Susie and congratulations on three years of elevated, alcohol-free living. It obviously suits you and your family benefit from your calmer demeanour. You’re no doubt inspiring the younger generation by your approach to sobriety and they will notice how much easier life is without alcohol. I send my warmest wishes as you continue rippling the sober effect to those around you. ❤️
If I was AF I feel it would set a good example for my grandchildren. I grew up watching my parents drink daily so it became the accepted thing to do. I want to set a better example to my children and grand children. My kids know I drink but not how much, I am ashamed of myself but manage to hide the extent of my drinking. I am looking forward to joining the sober school in January, it could well save my life
I look forward to helping you become the role model you wish for. Listening to stories from some of my previous students may inspire you: https://thesoberschool.com/success-stories/
Thanks for this Kate, especially the thought about feeling alone, but trusting you are not the only one, even if you don’t know who else is struggling. That was profound for me.
Rachel
I’ve worked with thousands of women to become ‘unstuck’ from the alcohol trap, so you are definitely not alone Rachel. If you are able to hide your drinking, monster hangovers and feelings of regret on a regular basis, then you can bet others are doing it too.