The Joy of Sober Holidays

With the Holiday Season upon us, if you are already an avid drinker this can be a time when your drinking kicks into high gear. According to grocery and liquor store sales data in the U.S., the three biggest days for alcohol sales annually are:

#3: The Day Before Thanksgiving

#2: Christmas Eve

#1: New Year’s Eve

If you rarely drink, and the Holidays simply create the opportunity for an extra glass of wine or two during family gatherings, then perhaps it’s not such a big deal.

HOWEVER, if you are already concerned about your drinking (how much, how often, and/or negative side-effects you’ve become disenchanted with) then this Holiday Season may very well pose the likelihood of unintentional benders, and as a by-product, magnified consequences.

There was a time in my life when the thought of enduring the Holiday Season sober seemed about as appealing as leaving the house to run errands stark naked!

Due to the ubiquitous social conditioning and onslaught of overt (and covert) marketing pushing alcohol at us from every direction, coupled with my own burgeoning neural and psychological dependence…the thought of deliberately excluding alcohol from the Holidays seemed almost like alien behavior, reserved for only the most extreme religious zealots, or those perpetually “in recovery” from previous alcohol abuse.

At the height of my drinking habit, I couldn’t imagine “doing” the Holidays without booze. I eagerly anticipated the “front-end” of the sort of drinking the Holidays permitted, such as starting earlier in the day…drinking more while everyone else seemingly did too (so my consumption didn’t stand out). But what I always seemed to willfully ignore were the obvious and annoyingly consistent ill after-effects that said over-consumption inevitably served up.

Thankfully nowadays I fear no negative consequences from the Holiday experience (beyond gaining a few extra pounds and a slightly lighter wallet!). Having now experienced the entire process from Thanksgiving to New Year’s entirely sober a few times now, I realize the belief that I needed alcohol in order to enjoy those occasions was just another lie promoted by the “Emperor’s New Clothes” hype around alcohol we tend to collectively embrace.

So as we embark upon the Holidays, here are 3 casual observations from my sober Holiday experiences…

Observation Number One:

Contrary to the belief that drinking makes us more social, I have noticed the conversations I am capable of having with friends and relatives I haven’t seen in a while are deeper, more meaningful and blessedly much easier to remember afterwards! Being sober magically seems to make it possible to become a better listener, and to connect in a more sincere way with loved ones. Does it make it easier to endure annoying relatives? Nope! But does drinking really make them any more bearable? Or is that just the excuse we tell ourselves as we pour another glass?

Observation Number Two:

I realize now that despite my past fears that someone might ask me why I wasn’t drinking, fretting over what excuse I could offer, and whether others might wonder if I had developed a dreaded “problem” with alcohol…in fact, very few people notice, comment or care! Let’s face it, most people aren’t paying nearly as much attention to us as we think. And for most folks, as long as they are happy with what’s in THEIR glass, they’re not investing much thought into worrying about what’s in ours.

And on the rare occasion that somebody does notice, it usually seems to go one of two ways:

1. They admire my decision, sometimes expressing their desire to cut back themselves.
2. They may tease a little and give me some flack for skipping the sauce, which actually says a lot more about THEIR drinking habit than mine.

Observation Number Three:

Whatever stresses and triggers may come during the planning, preparation, shopping, cooking and possibly travel the season demands…I can take solace in the knowledge that I will NOT be doubling down on that stress by self-destructively making myself feel like crap. And I can guarantee that I won’t feel disappointed in myself for going overboard (again) and possibly regretting how I represented myself around those that I care about most.

So, am I suggesting that you skip the drinks this holiday season? Well, that is entirely your call. If you do choose to partake, may I suggest that you try paying close attention to what alcohol is doing for you (and TO you) and whether those effects are truly adding to your enjoyment. Or could it be possible that your drinking may actually be detracting from the experience?

Regardless of your decision, I can confirm without hesitation that you CAN have a warm, joyous and entirely merry Holiday Season sans booze, and consequently also without the downsides that drinking “early and often” tends to carry with it.

This all becomes much easier after experiencing a thorough Mindshift about drinking, which can take time to achieve. If you believe you will be making a massive sacrifice to experience the Holidays sober, then it will indeed feel like one.

For more information on how to create a successful and lasting Mindshift about your drinking, click the link below to learn more about the proven Sober Vacation Transformation method.

But once a complete Mindshift occurs (Conscious Mindshift + Time + Neurochemical Recalibration + Time + Subconscious Mindshift)…you may ultimately ask yourself why you ever believed you needed that stuff in the bottle to have a Happy Holiday Season!