By Martha Wright, Founder of Clear Power Coaching
After coaching hundreds of clients through successful alcohol breaks, I’m offering you tactics, tools, and frameworks to make a zero-proof month feel enjoyable instead of punitive. Feel free to email me with any questions or feedback on the tips you explored. I’d love to hear from you!
- Celebrate: You live in an alcohol-obsessed culture, so taking 30 days to question your habits and explore life without alcohol is an achievement.
- Shift your perspective: This isn’t just about abstaining—it’s about wellness. Just like people experiment with taking breaks from sugar or meat, why not do the same with alcohol?
- Seek resources: Make your experience easier with resources like Annie Grace’s Alcohol Experiment App or my program, Luscious 30 (save $50 with DRYATLAS50), for support, accountability, and fun.
- Embrace curiosity: Get curious about alcohol’s role in culture, media, and advertising. Why do alcoholic beverages avoid labeling ingredients while non-alcoholic drinks must? Why must you defend not drinking?
- Focus on addition, not subtraction: Reflect on what you’re gaining: better sleep, more energy, clarity, confidence, and time. Treat yourself with chocolate, naps, or gourmet takeout instead of alcohol.
- Maintain a sabbatical mindset: Treat this month like a paid sabbatical. Indulge in activities that refresh and nourish you—whether it’s a new workout, a hike, or simply time for yourself.
- Save mental energy: Decision fatigue is real. Instead of thinking, “Will I drink tonight?” make one firm choice for 30 days to be curious about life without alcohol.
- Be playful: Treat this month as a fun science experiment. Enjoy it!
- Expect cravings: Cravings are part of human evolution, but they’re not commands. Most are shorter and less intense than we think. Imagine them as a toddler asking for ice cream—they’ll stop if you say no.
- “Surf” your cravings, don’t fight them: Don’t resist cravings—let them come and observe how they feel. Being curious about them can make them less powerful. When a craving hits, drink water, take a 15-minute walk, or try grounding exercises like wiggling your toes or doing jumping jacks to bring yourself back into your body.
- Make your daily life juicy: You’re not here to feel dry! Engage all your senses and fill your cup with experiences that delight you.
- Remember to HALT(T): Before you reach for your typical drink, check in with yourself. Are you just feeling hungry, angry, lonely, tired, or thirsty? Address that feeling instead.
- Carve new pathways: Each time you make a new choice, you reinforce a new neural pathway. Over time, this makes cravings less intense and gives you more control.
- Change your routine: If drinking is part of your daily routine, schedule an alternative. A walk, bath, or different activity can break the habit.
- Stay nutritionally balanced: Stay nourished with protein and hydration to avoid arriving at “wine o’clock” irritable or hungry.
- Keep the ritual: Use your favorite glassware and bar tools to craft fun, alcohol-free spritzes with fresh fruit, mint, and fancy ice. Make it a celebration!
As you embark on your alcohol-free experiment, let’s stay in touch! Each month in my newsletter, I share my favorite beverage discoveries, news, and insights on sober living. You can subscribe here.
About the author
Martha Wright is a New Orleans-born wine industry veteran turned sobriety/mindful drinking coach working in small groups and 1:1 in her own practice, Clear Power Coaching, as well as serving as Senior Coach within This Naked Mind. Using her background as a winemaker and right-hand to Food Network chefs, her unique path to regaining control focuses on kicking up the lusciousness and fun in our lives (plus, of course, understanding the neuroscience of habits, uncovering unconscious beliefs, and honing coping tools). She splits her time between Paris, Portland, Oregon, and New Orleans where you can find her sleuthing out the best street-food markets, coffee shops, and non-alcoholic venues, hosting non-alc meet-ups, or playing ping pong.
Martha has a brand-new, neuroscience-based course called Luscious 30. It makes taking a month-long alcohol break a joy—not a drag. Save $50 when you use code DRYATLAS50.
