If like me, you might have drinking less or going alcohol-free as your New Year’s resolution. I think it was probably on my list for at least 10 years, before something finally happened. We thought it’d be a really good idea to bring some people to you today to talk about how you set those intentions for the New Year. Even if it’s not about drinking, Taking on new challenges at the turn of the year can always be difficult, it’s the coldest time of year, and we’re probably feeling a little bit poorer and this year, we’re feeling like we’ve been starved of human connection as well. So it is that a weird time of year to set so many resolutions around renewal and newness. So here is advice from some of the people I have met over the last year to give you some tips on moving forward.
Dru Jaeger, programme director at Club Soda. He has written our courses on How to Drinking Mindfully and How to Quit Drinking and hosts our weekly Breathing Space session for members on our programmes. You can also take our free three-day course How to Change your Drinking, you want to get a taste of what we do.
Positive intentions are so much happier and motivators so much more than things which were about restriction or self-denial. So look back at 2020, harvest from all of that all of the good stuff, and then bring some of those things into your new year.
Dru Jaeger
No matter what I’m going to show up with self compassion, every time I make a mistake, that will change your life a lot more than I’m not going to drink.
If like me, you might have drinking less or going alcohol-free as your New Year’s resolution. I think it was probably on my list for at least 10 years, before something finally happened. We thought it’d be a really good idea to bring some people to you today to talk about how you set those intentions for the New Year. Even if it’s not about drinking, Taking on new challenges at the turn of the year can always be difficult, it’s the coldest time of year, and we’re probably feeling a little bit poorer and this year, we’re feeling like we’ve been starved of human connection as well. So it is that a weird time of year to set so many resolutions around renewal and newness. So here is advice from some of the people I have met over the last year to give you some tips on moving forward.
Dru Jaeger, programme director at Club Soda. He has written our courses on How to Drinking Mindfully and How to Quit Drinking and hosts our weekly Breathing Space session for members on our programmes. You can also take our free three-day course How to Change your Drinking, you want to get a taste of what we do.
Positive intentions are so much happier and motivators so much more than things which were about restriction or self-denial. So look back at 2020, harvest from all of that all of the good stuff, and then bring some of those things into your new year.
Dru Jaeger
No matter what I’m going to show up with self compassion, every time I make a mistake, that will change your life a lot more than I’m not going to drink.
If you don’t want to have a new year’s resolution, or a list of things, why don’t you theme the whole year and then come up with practices that you can put around that concept to let that idea breathe for you all of your 2021.
Maz Compton
Maz Compton is the author of the Sober Rebellion and all round superstar from Australia. Buy her book from Amazon UK // Amazon US // Amazon AUS.
Turn off your phone, grab your magazines, and your glue, scissors, glitter, and colouring pens, whatever it might be, photos of yourself , and get creative.
Janey Lee Grace
Janey Lee Graceis not only a pop star and TV and radio personality, but also the author of several books on healthier living. Her latest book is coming out in February, but you can already order it from Amazon UK.
If I’m not drinking, I will plan a month full of activities that don’t involve alcohol, such as playing sports, or maybe driving go karts. I also think in that same way, it’s important to hang out with like minded people.
Hilary Sheinbaum
Hilary Sheinbaum is the author of Dry Challenge: How To Lose The Booze For Dry January, Sober October, And Any Other Alcohol-free Month. Buy the book from Amazon UK // Amazon US.
Maybe this year you want to bring mindfulness into the glass. You want to try something different, but you still want to have an amazing experience have something delicious, just be a little more mindful.
Camille Vidal
The amazing Camille Vidal from La Maison Wellness is always our first stop for cocktails and the star of TV’s Sunday Brunch. Do check out her amazing YouTube channel for drink ideas this Christmas.
I’ve made these choices in my life to look forward to. I choose my days over my nights. It was something I decided to do when I gave up drinking is to enjoy my days, and forget about the night so much, I can come home and watch Netflix and go to bed, that’s fine.
Victoria Vanstone
@drunkmummysobermummy Victoria Vanstone has some great Christmas advice on her blog. Originally from Brighton, she was a self-confessed ‘party animal’, who hadn’t been sober in 20 years until she fell pregnant at 35.
I’ve made resolutions at random times, like when I first got sober. I find that much easier to stick to rather than saying, “Oh, just because it’s 2021 this is going to change about me”. I’m not perfect. I relapsed so many times. I fought with this for 15 years. I was in rehab five times. Now I’m two and a half years sober.
Claire William
Claire Williams is a Club Soda community admin and someone who has worked hard to change her drinking. We continue to be in awe of her progress and her willingness to help others.
If you congratulate yourself and reward yourself for committing to something that’s going to be for your benefit, ie going alcohol free or reducing your alcohol intake, then you’re you’re far, far more likely to stick to it.
If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing any day of the year, not just on the first of January. So I’d rather wait for the inspiration to come to me, rather than try to find the inspiration in January.
Jussi Tolvi
Jussi Tolvi is Club Soda’s resident behaviour change expert.
Create a sober affirmation jar. It’s really easy to just grab an empty jar can be like a jam jar, it could be anything. I write down intentions and affirmations on pieces of paper, I fold them up, I put them in the jar. And then if I’m having a wobble, or a hard week, I will pull one out to remind myself.
making sure that in those moments where you would maybe normally have an alcoholic drink, you’re prepared to choose something different. The availability of alcohol-free drinks and the quality of those drinks now means that if you put the preparation in, you are always going to be able to choose something non-alcoholic, that is going to fulfil that need for you.
Jessy Parker-Humphreys
Jessy Parker-Humphreys manages the Club Soda Guide (the best place to find low and no alcohol drinks and where to find them), pub expert and beer buff!
I like to make sure that I frame it for myself in a way that reminds me that I’m gaining something by doing this. I’m going to drink less or I’m not going to be drinking – for me that’s for my mental health, it’s so I can exercise more and get more from my body. It’s so that I can drink less sugar.
Anja Madhvani
Anja Madhvani is the Club Soda magazine editor, drinks expert and woman of many talents!
No matter what your goals are in life, it’s important to celebrate, and to share, and to acknowledge when things have gone wrong, and pick yourself up and move forward.
Josh Kelly
Josh Kelly is Club Soda’s events organiser and Queers Without Beers coordinator. A well as a dancer, model and gardener.
Give yourself the permission to shine every single day. Remember to focus on the positives. And not only on the negatives. It’s the minds default pattern to focus on the negatives because this is our mechanism to avoid risk and to avoid danger. So take a moment pause and focus on these beautiful achievement.
Rather than thinking about what you’re removing, ask yourself, what do I need for myself this year? What do I need to feel grounded, feel hopeful to feel optimistic, to feel positive that this year is going to be better than last year?
Ruby Warrington
Ruby Warrington, sober curious warrior and author of the new Sober Curious, Change the Way You Drink in 100 Days or Less. Buy the book from Amazon UK // Amazon US // Amazon AUS and read more in our 2021 book review.
Find your friends and teammates that can help make this a group commitment. It is always easier to embark on a journey or on a new year’s resolution when we have other people that can watch our back support is on such an important resolution for us.
Joao Brites
Joao Brites is from AB InBev’s Global #smartdrinking team.
Nothing permanent is built on January the first so avoid making over enthusiastic commitments at the very start of the year. Instead, dream scheme and ease yourself in. Assess the amount of energy that you have for the coming year and pledge to remain open to new ideas. And then plan loosely for the time being.
Beth Kempton
Beth Kempton is author of Calm Christmas and a Happy New Year. Given everything that has happened, instead of overspending, over-preparing and overdoing just about everything in an attempt to create the ‘perfect Christmas’ this year, what if we just relaxed, and focused on what really matters? Buy Beth’s book from Amazon UK // Amazon US //Amazon AUS.
One thing that worked for me to change my drinking wasn’t setting a big goal at the start of the new year, it was realising that there was no good time to give up drinking. I gave up two weeks before my birthday. Wherever you are in the year, if you’re thinking about it, decide that you’re going to start now because there’s no better time.
