How to go sober and ditch the booze

You can go sober for many reasons all of which will ultimately benefit your health. You can quit the booze to: -Lose weight -Stop self destructive behaviour -Treat depression and anxiety -Get healthier -Save money

A sober night out is going to be miles different from an wine-fuelled evening on the town. Rather then mourn the drunk, hazy filter you usually enjoy your nights out with try your best to embrace the clarity of your evenings. Your usual dive bar or cheesy night club might have to be digested with a large dose of irony instead of a jagerbomb, but when you’re out with the right people you’ll still have a good night (without the side of regret and nausea in the morning!).

Instead of stumbling home from your local, try and be inspired by trying out new places and meeting up with lots of different friendship groups rather than your usual drinking buddies. You can attend comedy shows, catch up on the latest movie releases and check out your favourite band instead.

Nights on the tequila train can cause a massive dent in your bank balance. Cutting back on the booze is not only great for your health and wellbeing but also benefits your finances, too. For every drink you DON’T have add it to a savings account. Pretty soon you’ll be able to buy that designer handbag you had your eye on or book that dream trip you’ve been hankering to go on.

Rather than while away the hours over a pint in the pub, organise a dinner party for friends in your own home. With all the delicious food on offer and the hilarious conversation you’ll hardly be thinking about booze!

Miss that Friday night cocktail? Order a nice mocktail instead. This way you won’t feel too left out or empty handed when the girls are getting the rounds in.

The best way to make sure you don’t fall off the bandwagon is to commit to being the designated driver. With your group relying on you to get from A to B you won’t be able to reach for the vodka even if you felt tempted to. Remember, drink/driving is NEVER okay!

Rather than give up alcohol indefinitely, decide that you’re going to go without booze for a certain period of time. This makes giving up the vino a bit more achievable and less overwhelming

So you had a beer or a glass of wine- don’t panic! This doesn’t mean that you have failed, we’re all human. Simply dust yourself off and try again. Go for a run or a long walk to clear your head and don’t beat yourself up about it.

At the same time don’t kid yourself into believing you have given up the booze when you’re STILL downing a bottle of wine on a Friday night. Do your best to think positive and remember why you’re choosing to give up boozing; to make yourself healthier and to live your life better.

Heading off to a house party or wedding? Be prepared for questions and intrigue over your decision. Prepare a few comebacks over pregnancy questions and provide yourself with some self affirmations for when people are offering you booze. Stick to your guns- you’ve made the RIGHT choice.

If possible recruit a friend or ‘sober’ buddy to help your change you lifestyle. This can be someone who is already sober, a pregnant friend or someone else who wants to give up the booze. Keep a Whatsapp group and update each other on your progress, provide support for each other and share any struggles that you’re having. Also, why not start a blog charting your experiences? You'll find a whole community of people online who are going through exactly the same difficulties. Sometimes it helps simply to know that you're not alone in breaking the booze habit. For more advice visit www.drinkaware.com