BRING YOUR OWN DRINKS TO GATHERINGS Heading to a party? Don’t assume the host will have good non-alcohol - ic drink options for you so it’s best if you bring your own. Most grocery stores have a decent selection of fizzy, fun, and fancy drinks to suit any palette. There’s something oddly comforting about having something to hold when at a social gathering and now that you no longer hold a boozy drink, you can get creative and try out new products. If you feel like drinking non-alcoholic beer won’t trigger you, there are a lot of deli - cious near beers on the market now. Check out this article I wrote [you can link to Spotlight’s NA beer article here] for some recommendations or reach out to local craft breweries to inquire about their non-alcoholic options. If you like the taste of hops, there’s something called hop water that provides the bitter taste but without the intoxicant. INCREASE YOUR SUPPORT SYSTEM If you’ve been invited to a holiday party where no one knows you’re sober, consider telling one of the partygoers that you feel safest with. Telling this person that you’re sober (and want to keep it that way) can take away some of the pressure you’re feeling. They can be a buffer between you and
7 TIPS FOR STAYING SOBER DURING THE HOLIDAYS by Lee-Anne Richardson ENJOYING THE SEASON T here are many different holidays celebrated between late November and early January and chances are, you will be invited to par - ticipate in some sort of holiday festivities. For many, this time of year is joyous, exciting, and hopeful, albeit a bit stressful. For others, spe - cifically those who no longer drink alcohol, the holidays can bring a sense of panic and dread. Aside from St. Patrick’s Day, the holidays are the Olympics of acceptable and expected consump - tion of alcohol during virtually the entire month of December. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that most of the people in our society associate the December holidays with drinking. It’s as though the only way to be festive and social is to be intoxicat - ed while doing it (hint: this is a lie!). The holidays seem to be a free pass to not only indulge in copious amounts of food but to also be day drunk any time you’re around friends and family. We’ve all seen the trite memes- “I’m full of Christ - mas spirit- it’s called vodka”, “Doesn’t feel like Christmas? Drink alcohol until it does”, or “Deck the halls with lots of wine”. For people who no
longer drink alcohol, being bombarded with these messages can be detrimental to not only their mental health but to their sobriety. Feeling like you don’t belong at a party because you’re sober and being without your usual social lubricant of alcohol to “get through” a social event can cause a lot of distress. But there are ways to mentally and physically prepare for the holidays as a sober person. Read on to learn how to stay sober during the 2021 holiday season.
105 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
104 SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2021
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