It can feel almost impossible to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get moving with a commitment to stop drinking. Most of us are feeling pretty down on ourselves when we decide it is finally time to go alcohol-free. I wish there was a way to snap our fingers and magically achieve sober momentum! …..but with that being impossible, let’s remember the whole world is NOT against you. Life happens around us, whether we have a drink in hand, or we are sober… but our perception about life can change if we want it to change. 

Sometimes there are bumps in the road, and for those cruising along with a drink in the hand when they hit the bump, they curse the bump because “it” spilled their drink… and they keep on drinking. Sometimes when we hit the bump and we don’t have a drink in the hand when we hit it…. then maybe we don’t brace ourselves right and we hit our heads against the ceiling… frustrated we proclaim, “F*ck this $hit!  If I had been drinking, I would have been ready for that bump and I wouldn’t have hurt myself.  Pour me a drink!!!” 

Sober Momentum begins when we hit the bump and we don’t have a drink, and we turn and pivot… we don’t react as our “f*ck it” brain wants to.  

We KNOW that drinking won’t help. 

We KNOW that being drunk won’t make it easier to deal with family relationships.

Being drunk won’t make it easier to talk about getting fired.

Being drunk won’t make it better when the doctor gives out bad news. 

Being drunk won’t keep the taxman away. 

Being drunk is a physical condition, where the brain is mis-firing as it processes facts, thoughts, and emotions. It is caused by the ingestion of alcohol.  The amount of alcohol it takes to get drunk varies from person to person, but once ingested, our brain is searching for the “AAAHHH” that it initially felt during the first moments of the first drink of the day….  and that ahhhhh is only there in the first drink so we drink and drink till drunk.

When initially sober, the brain is still soaked with alcohol remnants…. like a wet soapy sponge that was once used to clean dishes.  As time passes during day 1, the brain intellectually knows there are plenty of reasons to not drink, but the alcohol still in your bloodstream is like a parasite feeding on it’s host, sending your brain messages that you desperately need to drink more to survive – any little bump in the road will serve as a good excuse.

The thing is, if you visualize the wet soapy sponge, it’s best to rinse the sponge out well before storing it….  so drink lots of good fluids.  Replenish your brain with water, herbal teas, lemon water… give your brain the best chance to succeed. Use any emotion living inside of yourself as your ally, anger, forgiveness, love, humor, sadness… use it to protect your inner self.  Sobriety is NOT a Punishment – You Can Do it Just for Today

5 Reasons I’m not going to drink today!

I’m not going to drink today because I’m ANGRY about everything I’ve lost to alcohol!

I’m not going to drink today because I forgive myself my imperfections and don’t want to punish my good self with another hangover!

I’m not going to drink today because I LOVE myself and the endless possibilities of my life lived FREE!

I’m not going to drink today because I’d rather watch a funny movie and laugh myself silly then slip into a maudlin drunken drama and cry myself to sleep!

I’m not going to drink tonight because I’m sad about the state of the world and I need all of my energy and all of my resources to be the best citizen of that world that I can be!

Look, you can drink tomorrow, but today we are laying off the sauce.  Today’s mocktail is water and lemon juice…. today’s treat is jelly beans and when the alcohol cravings kick in, we are going to beat them by….  walking the dog, washing the car, cleaning out the freezer, matching odd socks, making dinner, listening to a podcast like The Bubble Hour, listening to an audiobook like “Dry“..

read this post – One Day At A Time

and this post – One Day at a Time

and just for good measure through this one in too – The Fuckit Bucket

Own it. Sobriety is NOT a punishment, even though your alcohol-addled brain is trying to convince you that it is.  For today, just promise today.  

Tomorrow will happen tomorrow.  

You CAN do this.  Just for today.  Turn and Pivot 💕💕💕

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