If you spent July dry, then firstly; congratulations! The year’s seventh month came soaked in trial and temptation, from the drowning of sorrows following the Euro 2020 final to a celebratory sashay towards the bar on ‘Freedom Day’.
Perhaps you’ve decided to continue this drought for good, noticing the positive effects that abstinence has had on your health, sleep, wellbeing and bank balance, and you’re wondering just how to adjust to the social aspect of things. Or, you’re going through addiction recovery in the UK and you don’t want to place yourself in a situation where you’ll be tempted to drink.
If you’re reevaluating your relationship with alcohol, you’re not alone. You just have to look at the recent boom of the “Nolo” drinks market, which is set to grow by 34% by 2024, to understand the country’s changing attitudes to drinking.
The language around the way we talk about drinking is changing, too. As explained in The Zoe Report, modern terms like “sober-curious”, “mindful drinking”, and “alcohol-free” have entered our everyday lexicon. It seems that people are slowing down and being more mindful about what they drink. Moreover, it seems many of us are considering whether booze is really adding any value to our lives.
Younger generations, in particular, seem to be embracing the alcohol-free life. As revealed in an article on Medium, the youth are leading the mindful drinking moment with most citing health as the primary rationale behind it. The New York Times recently wrote an article on why the hot new alcohol trend is cutting back — or even quitting – and we’re very much here for it.
That said, and for better or for worse, much of the socialising in Britain revolves around the pub and the pint. But rather than never seeing your friends again, there are ways you can enjoy a rich and full social life without the need for alcohol to play a central role. Here are 5 tips for doing just that.
MAKE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT
Whilst we wouldn’t want to underestimate them, we think it’s fair to assume that your friends are not psychic, neither are they mind readers. Prior to your next engagement with your pals, make sure you let it be known that you don’t intend to drink. Or, even better, that you’d prefer the meeting not to revolve around drink.
True friends will understand and support you.
KEEP UP WITH ONLINE SOCIALISING
Whilst we’ve certainly been happy bidding farewell to Zoom pub quizzes and Facetime Fridays with our friends, if you’re keen to socialise without the pressure of the pub, then it might be worth revisiting the online socialising from time to time. This allows you to check in with friends, catch up and enjoy some continuity, but from the sanctuary of home.
Read: 6 platforms for having fun and socialising with friends online
A BREW, NOT BOOZE
That’s not to say that you should cut out the face-to-face meetings with friends altogether. But instead of going to the pub or hitting the house parties, why not keep the venues more neutral and swap the booze for a brew? This could be in the form of inviting a friend round for a cuppa at yours or meeting for a coffee out and about.
Alternatively, you could share non-alcoholic beer, wine or cocktail with a friend if you’re meeting up in the evening. It should be noted, however, that many experts believe that zero alcohol drinks – mocktails, ‘near beers’…whatever you want to call them – aren’t actually particularly helpful for those trying to give up alcohol entirely.
The realistic aroma they give off, as well as the atmosphere of the pub and the habitual element of opening the drink, can actually cause temptation to increase. Instead, try to nurture a completely drug and drink free lifestyle, if you can…
FIND FREE EVENTS IN YOUR AREA
Not every public social gathering need come with a pint in hand. In fact, some of the best are enjoyed without any drink at all.
Finding free events in your city is a surefire way to enjoy a booze-free time, too. In London, as we’re sure you already know, the majority of museums and art galleries in London are free to enter, with restrictions only existing on select exhibitions. So, that’s a month of the V&A, the Science Museum, Design Museum, the Natural History Museum, the Tate, the National Gallery and so many more. None of these need to involve meeting in a pub or bar, and many are stimulating enough, culturally, to not require drinking at all.
If you’re not living in the capital, check out this list of the best free stuff to do, UK-wide, here.
‘APPY TO HELP
There are plenty of apps out there to help you monitor your alcohol intake, and steer you from temptation should you feel the urge to drink looming large. Some take the form of daily motivational messages, hypnotherapy and mindfulness advice. Others help you track how much you used to consume, and how much it’s cost you over your lifetime, in both pounds and calories. Sometimes, this can represent a necessary shock that will put you right off your potential pint.
Many of these apps also offer the chance to engage with a community of like-minded people, which for some can be really helpful. You really are spoilt for choice with the amount of help out there in app form, so dive in. Most are free, too.
The most popular is probably the NHS Drink Free Days app, which prompts you to record every dry day you’ve achieved. It should be said that this app is better for cutting down rather than out, via abstinence based recovery.
For community based support, from those who have gone through a similar thing; Living Sober is a worldwide support system, One Year No Beer requires membership but offers diverse community based encouragement, and the Reddit community /r/stopdrinking is perhaps the most populated online support group in the world. Check them out!