Quit Drinking Alcohol: 6 Tips For Exploring Sobriety

The Curvy Road to Sobriety

As someone who stopped drinking over six years ago and counting, it’s easy for people to think I just woke up one day, decided to quit drinking alcohol, and did. 

The reality? 

It was a long, bumpy, tiring road.

I started drinking socially when I was a teenager. By the time I was in my early twenties I was already wondering if drinking was healthy for my emotional wellbeing (hint, it wasn’t).

Then I spent the rest of my twenties, still socially drinking, still wondering if it was doing me more harm than good. I quit drinking alcohol for a few different stretches of time, once for a full year and half, only to eventually backslide into the same old behavior. 

The truth is, the path many of us take on our journeys to quit drinking alcohol is full of peaks and valleys, unforeseen bends along the way, and forks in the road. It’s true that you can only commit to an alcohol-free life when you’re really ready to change.

No one else can make that decision for you.  

So, this post is a little more personal, as I’ll share what’s worked for me.

But ultimately you have to be the one to decide to change your life.

And trust me, if you do quit drinking alcohol, you will absolutely change your life.

It’s been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

6 Tips For Women Who Are Ready To Quit Drinking Alcohol

1: Connect With Your Truth

If you’re first realizing that you’d like (or need) to quit drinking alcohol, it helps to find some hope in what your new future will be. An alcohol-free life is liberating and rewarding.

But it’s tempting to look at the hurdles it takes to get there and feel discouraged before you even start.

I was worried about losing friends, not fitting in, what I’d do on the weekends, and what people would think of me.

So, I dug deep into my spirituality to find the faith I needed to embark on a journey into unknown territory. Conjure up a positive, loving vision of what a life without alcohol could do for you.

What might improve in your life?

With your boundaries and relationships?

In your work or career?

Your focus, energy, and creativity?

Use that vision of a better life as your north star and main motivation.

2: Find Resources That Motivate And Challenge You

One of the most impactful resources in my life, that convinced me to quit drinking alcohol for good, was a special book by a woman named Annie Grace.

In This Naked Mind: Control Alcohol, Annie approaches alcohol use and abuse from a practical standpoint that sticks:

“This Naked Mind will give you freedom from alcohol. It removes the psychological dependence so that you will not crave alcohol, allowing you to easily drink less (or stop drinking). With clarity, humor, and a unique blend of science and storytelling, This Naked Mind will open the door to the life you have been waiting for.”

You’ll learn how the alcohol industry uses advertising to trick you into thinking you need to drink, how deeply society encourages drinking, and how alcohol affects your mind and body short-term and long-term.

The author doesn’t preach but her straight-forward honesty was impossible for me to ignore.

I quit drinking alcohol (for good) within a few months of reading her book. 

3: Confront What’s Not Working

Take inventory of the negative side effects alcohol has on your life today.

What has made you consider removing alcohol from your life?

Make a comprehensive list of the aspects of drinking that no longer serve you, so you have extra motivation to push toward a new beginning.

You might also find that writing down some of your frustrations or disappointments with alcohol can be a cathartic experience.

By putting your feelings and experiences into words, you’ll loosen your grip around any lingering shame or guilt you’ve been carrying around.

Then, you can move forward with self-compassion and emotional liberation.  

4: Commit To The Journey

The road to sobriety is not always easy, and each person will have a different experience than another.

Your path will depend on where you’re starting from and what tools you have to help you. When you quit drinking alcohol, you’re going to encounter a few bumps in the road as you adjust.

You’ll want to decide what your goals are, first.

Are you taking a break? If so, for how long?

Or would you like to quit drinking alcohol entirely?

Having an intention in mind can help you put an action plan together.

It’s important to note that for many, many, people, cutting out alcohol is difficult.

You’ll want to drink at times. You may slip up or relapse. But all of that is a normal, healthy process of breaking old habits and forming new ones.

So, commit to your personal journey without judgment, embrace self-care (this guide will help), and know that fumbling is par for the course.

5: Enlist a Support Team

When you make the brave choice to quit drinking alcohol, you’re going to need some extra social support.

Enlist a trusted friend or two to have your back in situations where you might be tempted to revert to old habits or people please, especially where alcohol is present.

If you find yourself lacking a support network, explore opportunities to attend meetings, MeetUps, or community events that cater to like-minded individuals in sobriety.

You’d be surprised at how many overlapping characteristics we share with one another.

Plus, groups are a great way to make new connections and receive encouragement in your pursuit of an alcohol-free life.

6: Explore Popular Solutions

Lastly, if you’d like to quit drinking alcohol and want the built-in support of people who have “been there, done that”, then it’s absolutely worth exploring Alcoholics Anonymous or other recovery-based meetings.

AA meetings are like group therapy. They’re rewarding and inclusive, and many professionals and celebrities rely on them to stay sober. Most cities offer meetings specific to the experiences of women, LGBTQ+, parents, and more.

Although I don’t follow a program in my sobriety, I have attended AA, and found it deeply healing to be in a room full of people who I knew wouldn’t (and likely couldn’t!) judge me. It’s a liberating experience if you find the right meetings for you.

Plus, you’ll get insight into the free 12-step program that has helped millions of women get and stay sober. You can find a meeting local to you here. 

One Day At A Time

Our society is evolving quickly, and being sober doesn’t carry the same stigma or weight it used to. Bars, grocery stores, and even Amazon carry non-alcoholic beverages that you can easily swap in place of booze.

Best of all, sobriety can open up a whole new world of experiences, intentional choices, and ambitions. 

Ready to quit drinking alcohol?

Today’s a great day to embark on your new journey! I’m rooting for you.