So I’m now 8 weeks sober and one of the things - and there are many - that has really surprised me during this time has been just how easy it has been to give up. (Bearing in mind this is coming from a life-long caner whose whole identity came from being a party girl.)
Previously, I’d always prided myself on being the last person to stumble from the after-after-party into the waiting cab, hair tousled, shades on; the dubious Uber driver poised to prize me out of the back seat should I look like I might hurl. I’d arrive at the party as a mild-mannered Mogwai and leave looking more like a wonky Sesh-Gremlin 🤪:
Suddenly, instead of being proud of my party-going prowess as my alter ago Sammy Saucers, I’m now a little bit...well, embarrassed by her. It only took me until the tender age of 44 to wake up and smell the coffee (or green tea in my case) - but when something inside you changes, everything around you does too.
I’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of DMs, questions, and quiet words of encouragement I’ve received, often from people who don’t follow my
If You Booze, You Lose Facebook page or comment publicly on social media for fear of being tarnished by the digital footprint that doing so may leave. There is still a stigma around being a big drinker - almost as big as the one around being teetotal!
It seems there is a perfect Goldilocks And The Three Bears-style balance that you need to strike with your alcohol consumption to be accepted in society: too little and you’re a bore...too much and you’re a liability...like the porridge in the fairy tale you have to get it juuuuust right. And how many of us have the knowledge and willpower to be able to strike that exact balance? We’re not chemists ffs, we’re Joe Public trying to relax after another tough week on the treadmill of life. Of course if the booze makes us feel better we’ll probably overuse it, and keep going...and going...until it doesn’t.
No, for many of us, the only way to strike the perfect booze balance is...not to have any at all. And since speaking publicly about this, tons of people have told me that they quietly quit and have never looked back. No wonder they were all looking so fit, successful and happy! If only I’d known their secret sooner.
So, in the spirit of sharing, here are my top 20 tips for giving up the loopy-juice. You could white-knuckle it of course, just clinging onto the Old You, and your Old Life, but minus the booze, teeth gritted in steely determination...but with a shift in your mindset and habits your life will open up so much that rather than seeing living AF (alcohol-free) as restrictive, it’ll open up a whole beautiful world that you never knew existed before:
1. Two's company
If your partner is also ready to quit the devil's juice - perfect! Dave and I agreed to do it together from day 1, and it's made all the difference. If he'd rocked up at my place with a bottle of prosecco in each hand whilst I was trying to quit that wouldn't have been ideal. If you don't have a partner or friend ready to quit, get an already-sober friend or relative to be an informal mentor, or join an online support group (see below).
2. Read the QuitLit
These are some books that I'm reading and/or have been recommended by successful soberites that I follow:

3. Join the AA Zoom Room
"Of course, I'm not an alcoholic, I go to parties not meetings dahling!" But I
may have dipped into
this 24hr AA Zoom meeting occasionally at the beginning, just to keep me on track and remind me of the dark places I didn't want to end up. (You can leave your camera off and lurk in the background should you wish.)
4. Get the app
These are helpful for tracking how many days sober you are (you'll get more determined as you cross off the days and monitor your progress), setting pledges, expanding your mind and strengthening your resolve:
MindValley (free advice from some of the most successful people in their field of expertise)
Audible (fill your head with mind-expanding tales instead of mind-bending chemicals)
5. Follow these accounts
There's a lot of fluff to sift through on your social media, especially the current pandemic-related prattling or political posts (insert eye-roll emoji), so add some more inspiring stuff to your newsfeed, such as these pages and groups:
A lot of them have closed groups too if you want to chat to others for support. I also searched for relevant content on Instagram to follow using hashtags such as #sober, #alcoholfree #fitness and #healthyeating etc. By following entire categories and hashtags rather than just individual people's accounts it keeps the content varied and interesting. I also unfollowed lots of the clubbing accounts and booze-filled feeds.
6. Save the booze money
Open a special online savings account, transfer your weekly sesh fund into it and watch your money grow...
7. Reward yourself
A new top, a nice meal. A Waga's Deliveroo in place of the liquid lunch down the boozer.
8. Photograph yourself
Take weekly selfies, with and without makeup if you usually wear it, to monitor the improvement in your appearance: skin (more radiant), hair (shinier, less brittle), eyes (twinkling). That glassy-eyed picture (see aforementioned Sesh Gremlin shot) from a few months ago that makes you cringe will also be the best one to highlight your progress.
9. Listen to some different music
Try a different genre to your usual stuff. For now, I’m generally avoiding pumping house/electronic music (although I love it!) in favour of more chilled tunes - unless I’m cleaning the house, running or working out. Those banging beats act as a stimulant after all, something I associate with partying, and could be a trigger for bad decisions. A friend told me she loves to hear it when out clubbing but avoids listening to it at home for these very reasons, preferring to create a peaceful haven instead, and I think she has a point.
10. Get this podcast
I'm listening to ALL of the podcasts at the moment. Give some of these a try:
11. Watch these TED Talks
12. Help others
You can't save anyone else in an emergency until your own oxygen supply is flowing, so focus on your own issues in the first instance, then pay it forward by reaching out and fixing someone else's oxygen mask into place.
13. Find your flow
Learn a new skill or hobby or immerse yourself in one you already have a passion for (which may need dusting off after being neglected for so long).
14. Pamper yourself
Your self-esteem will soar with every sober day you add to your winning streak. Reward yourself with self-care: long bubble baths, a good book, early nights, luxurious products, quality food.
15. Seek and avoid
Seek sober friends and non-alcohol-related activities. Avoid triggering people and situations until you’re strong enough to trust yourself around them. There's no need to test yourself, you're not trying to get a master's degree in Temptation Resistance here. Just staying sober is enough. Stay humble, don’t get cocky, and stay out of harm's way (which isn't that difficult with the current curfews and restrictions) - turns out there's no better time to give up partying than during a global pandemic. Welcome to JOMO - the Joy Of Missing Out.
16. Exercise
Running, BodyPump, HIIT, yoga - whatever floats your boat. Just do it, and do it often. Stop procrastinating, get your kit on, and get moving.
17. Eat healthily
Follow the 80/20 rule: 80% healthy, 20% treats. Nourish your body and your mind will follow. You can't pour from an empty cup, so fill your body with fresh fruit and veg, fish, nuts - brain food, basically - then go ahead and treat yourself. You'll have plenty of spare calories that you would usually have wasted on booze, after all ;-).
18. Find nice alternative drinks
Raspberry kombucha or lime and soda when I'm out, chamomile or green tea with a slice of lemon and half a spoonful of honey when indoors...these are some of my current faves. I never actually really liked the taste of alcohol anyway.
19. Weigh yourself
...and watch those extra chins and muffin-tops caused by the empty alcohol calories melt away...
And last but not least:
20. Write a 5yr plan
Now that you have a shiny sober future ahead of you, how do you want it to look? Journal daily, write notes and make lists of things you want to achieve or research as they pop into your head (I use the Notes app on my iPhone) and start to build a clear plan full of SMART objectives in order to harness your dreams and work out how you’ll turn them into reality. The world truly is your oyster (and who really needs that overpriced champagne to wash it down?). Stay curious.
And that's it!
Welcome to Life: Part Two.
Are you ready to set off on your new path and rewrite your future?

Sam x
Fancy reading my back-story before you go any further? You can find my other blogs at:
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