At the time I’m writing this, we’re just a few days into the recommended onset of suggested “social distancing” as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak.

As I made my obligatory trip to the grocery store to stock up on a few supplies, I watched as people filled their carts with extra wine bottles, preparing for the possible period of isolation, I thought, “Wow, there has truly never been a better time to be sober...I’ve literally been training for this.”

So, while many are freaking out at the prospect of social distancing, I’m realizing that my alcohol-free lifestyle is going to serve as an amazing tool as we’re encouraged to practice social distancing. I’m embracing this time as a necessary mandate to look within and slow down. But, I’ve also spent the last three years doing the work to get to a point where the prospect of being mostly alone in my home isn’t frightening to me.

However, I know there are several of you who don’t yet share my same sentiment. I know that the prospect of being isolated is daunting.

The good news is that I’m here to reflect back to you the goodness that is being alcohol-free. So, whether you’re currently alcohol-free or just sober-curious, I’d love to share with you how I’m choosing to look at being alcohol-free as an absolute gift during times like these.

I’ve written a lot over the past three years on the topic of sobriety and why I think it’s one of the raddest things ever. It is undeniably the foundational decision that has led to every accomplishment, joy, and triumph I’ve had since.

Making the decision to remove alcohol completely from my lifestyle was not an easy one. I faced a ton of head-trash and social programming that had long convinced me to stay stuck in my patterns. If you’ve been considering giving up alcohol, you’ve probably had a similar fear-based track reeling in your head:

• Who will I be as a non-drinker?

• How will I have a social life if I don’t drink?

• What will I do at weddings? Parties? Happy Hour? Vacation?

• How will I relax after a long day? Celebrate after a big win at work?

When it comes to navigating the world alcohol-free, the struggle is absolutely real.

If you’ve kicked off the new year by taking a break from alcohol (or are just taking a break from drinking in general, really), you might be wondering, “now what?” when it comes to your drinking habits and your overall relationship with alcohol. You might even be counting down the days until you can have a sip of your favorite boozy cocktail or a glass of wine. 

Before you start making too many plans, I want to encourage you to take a moment to reflect back on why you took the month off of alcohol in the first place…

“Alcohol doesn’t make things more interesting; it makes your mind stupid so that things that would otherwise have bored it are suddenly enough to occupy it.”

A few things you’ve got wrong about taking a break from booze + some good news.

You read the title: Giving up alcohol for Dry January isn’t an accomplishment. I know, because I did it. Two years ago, I decided I couldn’t keep living the, work hard / play hard, mimosas made me do it, 5 o'clock somewhere, party-girl lifestyle I’d kept up for most of my 20s. It was becoming exhausting, mundane, boring, and I could sense that the lifestyle was the single most concrete habit interfering with having the career, relationships, and fulfillment in life that I deserved.

When I started to feel like drinking culture was no longer serving me a few years ago, I was admittedly resistant about being “sober” because of the social stigma I held around the label. I didn’t want to be “sober” because I didn’t want to have a “problem”. As it turns out, you don’t have to have an addiction-level “problem” with alcohol for it to be a “problem” in your life.

I’ve lived in Austin since the Fall of 2015 - it’s a vibrant city known for its funky, eclectic (and sometimes super weird) culture. The city has a little of something for everyone - especially when it comes to great restaurants and nightlife. As one of the nation's fastest growing cities, a host to two major festivals, and a frequent destination for bachelor/bachelorette parties; it isn’t too difficult to find a place to grab a good cocktail in Texas’ capital city. Finding a great spot that offers alcohol-free options that go beyond “virgin” cocktails (which is actually code for club soda and syrup) is a bit of a different story.