A personal experience by a Certified Coach of 'This Naked Mind' & Inspired to Change - Rachael Layton, journey in breaking the booze chain.
'When I decided to take a break from alcohol one of my biggest concerns was what to drink instead, especially in social situations.
Drinking is such an integral part of socialising that life without alcohol brought up images of everyone clinking their glasses of wine while I sat forlornly in a corner nursing a plastic cup of pink lemonade.
I’m happy to say that I haven’t had one glass – plastic or otherwise – of pink lemonade since ditching the booze.
Now if pink lemonade is your thing, then knock yourself out. But when I go out I don’t want to choose from the kids’ drinks menu.
I was therefore very pleasantly surprised to discover a whole world of adult alcohol-free options and have enjoyed sampling what is on offer ever since!
In my drinking days, a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc was my wine of choice so I stocked up on a selection of non-alcoholic white wines.
The first few I tried were too sweet and it almost made me rethink alcohol-free options and turn back to sparkling water. However, I have since found some great whites, (Plus & Minus Shiraz and Rose)is my current fave), so it’s worth trying out a few until you find one you like.
I have also experimented with other alcohol-free drinks and now I have AF sparkling wines that I enjoy, a host of mocktail recipes and a selection of gins.
It’s been fun trying different drinks and I have been pleasantly surprised by the range and quality available.
In fact having so many great options was key to helping me get through the first weeks and months of alcohol-free living.
When my partner cracked open a beer on a Friday night, I didn’t feel as if I was missing out because I could pour myself an alcohol-free gin and tonic.
Going to someone’s home for dinner and drinks wasn’t an issue because I would bring along a bottle of alcohol-free wine or bubbly.
I didn’t want to miss out on socialising so being able to enjoy a drink, but without the after effects of alcohol, was like finding a calorie-free donut!
It also got the conversation started with friends who were keen to taste the alcohol-free versions and to chat about why I was choosing not to drink.
So if you’re worried that taking a break from drinking will lead to a severe case of FOMO, don’t be concerned.
There’s a whole world of alcohol-free drinks out there to enjoy. And best of all, there are no hangovers or feelings of regret the next day. '