5 top tips for staying sober over the Christmas period

It’s never too early to plan how you will remain sober over the Christmas period. This doesn’t mean less fun or socialising, but it will mean no hangovers or anxiety about what happened the night before.

The thought of a first Christmas sober can be daunting and it may feel like any joy will be lost. However, having enjoyed two alcohol free Christmas’s, I have put together these top tips to help keep you on track.

1-Remind yourself why you have chosen to become sober

Note these reasons on your phone, write these down, put them on a wall or keep them with you. The point is to be clear WHY you have chosen sobriety and WHAT you want to achieve.

For example:

• I want to enjoy time with family and friends and fully immerse myself in the experiences.

• I want to remain healthy and regret free.

• I want to be kind to my body and mind, so I remain healthy and happy.

Your reason will be personal, and it is useful to regularly remind yourself. It also helps you to reflect on how far you have come.

2-Smart Sober Social Planning

You can still attend drinking events, but I personally avoid events purely focused on getting drunk. It is a friend’s birthday, then I will attend and share a first drink (mine alcohol free) but then I leave, and good friends understand this. It is the same for the Christmas period.

If there is a work meal, you can stay for this and confidently order your alcohol-free drink. If people are going on just for drinks after, decide if this is an environment you are comfortable in and if not, end the evening there. That being said, if you will still enjoy the evening, carry on, selecting alcohol free options and feeling smug in the morning that you still have loads of energy and are not desperately trying to remember what you did or said that could impact your career.

You can offer to be the designated driver, if you don’t want people to keep pressuring you to drink. Good friends shouldn’t, but once sober you will notice how often people want others around them to drink to validate that they are. But that’s a topic for another article!

Arranging get togethers that involve set activities can help reduce the focus on just drinking.

• Games nights

• Christmas markets

• Christmas shopping

• Spa days

• Bowling

  
  

They can still be celebratory and fun but without the sole focus being getting drunk.

I have found volunteering to be a rewarding activity where I feel a sense of achievement and it keeps me busy and away from binge-drinking over the festive period. If you think this would be something you enjoy, check your local volunteering opportunities. Even Christmas day can be a great day to volunteer on, depending on your circumstances.

3-Stay Supported in your Sobriety

I personally like to tell people that I am sober and be clear I do not want to drink alcohol. I did this from the start of my sober journey, and it made it easier when going out. During this period, it separated my supportive friends from my drinking acquaintances.

It is a personal choice whether you want people to know your journey, but it is useful to have at least one person you can speak with about it. This could be family, a partner, friend or sober coach. Having someone to celebrate your successes with and also discuss challenges can help keep you on track. There are apps and communities too that are designed to support you.

4-Plan your responses for if someone offers you a drink

You shouldn’t have to explain yourself, when choosing not to have an alcoholic drink, but it sometimes helps to stop people trying to pressure you into having more.

Depending on where you are and who is around, decide beforehand, how you will respond when offered a drink.

You can be upfront, and most people were impressed and supportive when I told them I was going sober.

If you don’t want to explain this, you can say things like, you have decided to have a month alcohol free, you are not drinking for health reasons, you have an important event the next morning you need to be alert for. If you know how you will respond you are less likely to feel flustered when asked.

You shouldn’t have to justify why you are not drinking but I have experienced times when people don’t want to take no for an answer and keep trying to buy me alcohol. Unfortunately, alcohol and being drunk is associated with a good time despite the evidence and most people’s personal experiences being the opposite, particularly the next day.

5-Reward yourself

You could calculate how much you usually spend on alcohol on a night out and then shop hangover free the next day to treat yourself using this money. Or save the money and treat yourself to a holiday later in the year.

You can book an exciting activity for the next morning, to have a good reason to remain sober and have a clear head the next day.

Additional thoughts….

It would be wrong for me to pretend that going sober in the festive period will be easy, especially if you are changing engrained habits and if drinking is a large part of your friendship groups, family and colleagues’ life. However, what I can say, is that it is possible, and it does get easier. The above tips should help you prepare.

Over time my hobbies and the activities I choose to attend have changed, but I still go to parties and meals. I have learned to recognise ones that I will enjoy for the entire night. If people are focused on getting as drunk as possible, then I leave at a time that suits me.

Frequently Asked Questions

How easy is it to stay sober over Christmas?

Everyone’s experience is different when going sober and navigating the festive period. Planning how you manage this time will help. Being selective in where you go and what you do will help too, as will taking control and arranging activities unrelated to alcohol but still fun. Identifying times that you may find particularly challenging and planning what you will do then, is useful. Utilising your support network will help keep you on track too.

Is it OK to have just a few drinks at Christmas?

As a sober coach, and from my personal experience, when asked if it is OK to have a few drinks over Christmas, my answer is a resounding no. Remind yourself why you have decided to become sober, and these reasons will still be valid whether it is Christmas, new year or the summer. Remind yourself of all the benefits of being sober. Your mind and body will thank you for it. There is no benefit to drinking over Christmas, only negatives.

Will people think I am boring if I don’t drink at Christmas?

If people think you are boring by not drinking at Christmas that is their issue not yours. Sadly, UK society encourages binge drinking despite the known damage to health. Prime examples are the buy one, get one free offers and happy hours.

What can I do instead of drinking at Christmas?

There are many activities you can do instead of only drinking alcohol at Christmas. Think about what you enjoy or might like to try. Sports, spa day, cinema, meals, games.… the list goes on. Think how much fun children have and they don’t drink (or certainly shouldn’t).

If you are feeling lonely, there are support groups, and/or volunteering is a way to meet new people and feel a sense of achievement.

Staying sober over Christmas is not about missing out but about taking back control and creating positive memories. You’ll be the one who remembers the evening without regrets, takes great photos, drives everyone home safely, and wakes up feeling fresh.

So happy planning and I am here if you need me.