5 Tips For Socialising Sober

Let’s be honest – our social lives have been turned upside down over the past twelve months. The thought of life going back to ‘normal’ can feel very daunting, especially if you have stopped drinking over lockdown and are yet to flex that alcohol-free socialising muscle! The thought of going to a bar, a pub garden, nightclub, festival or BBQ might feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to. To help you navigate these situations, I am going to share my top tricks so you can socialise sober with confidence, ease and excitement.

1.Call ahead.

Call the bar ahead of time and make sure they have some alcohol-free drinks options. Not only does this take away the worry about what you’re going to drink, but it also takes away that voice in your head which tells you ‘just have one’. Having ‘just one’ might be a slippery slope for you, so making sure you already know what you are going to drink before you get there really helps to navigate this.

2. Set yourself a ‘power hour.’

If a situation seems like it might be triggering but you really want to go, set yourself the goal of a ‘power hour’. Go for one hour, and if you aren’t having a good time after that or you’re feeling uneasy, give yourself permission to leave. In the early days of my sobriety, I found this a really helpful strategy to help tackle the more daunting social situations.

3. Reframe your thoughts.

I want you to think of alcohol-free socialising as an adventure. A chance to explore a new part of you, a chance to make deeper connections and remember conversations, a chance to figure out exactly what you like and don’t like. Thinking of going to events and not drinking as an opportunity for personal growth and development has really helped me take my worries and fears of sober socialising into a space of self-enquiry and experiment.

4. Have an exit strategy.

Know how you’re going to get home – whether it’s checking the nearest bus or tube stop, bringing a local taxi number with you or pre -booking transport. Having your route home planned stops you having to rely on anyone else and can help take the pressure off thinking you have to stay all night. The last thing you want is to be waiting around for a friend who has decided they want to stay out all night. An exit strategy allows you to socialise on your own terms.

5. Don’t be afraid to leave.

You don’t owe anyone an apology, you don’t need to feel guilty, and you certainly don’t need to go into details. If you’re not feeling it, for whatever reason, you can leave – without feeling bad about it.

At UK Detox we work with a wide range of rehabilitation facilities and detox centres around the country to suit your needs and circumstances and provide home detox’s. We are a premier service with an extremely high success rate, offering addicts the opportunity to get clean and sober and live a successful life. We are living proof that it is achievable and now we are here to help you on your journey into recovery. Change your story, change your life.