In My Sober Girlie Era

Hey hey, how are you? How is it nearly August... time flies by when you are living your best life, right?

July was such a lush summery month with the release of Barbie and Speak Now (tv), the vibes are good. I started this month with a delightful trip to Tenerife where I soaked up the sun, read 6 books and drank a river of mocktails...I also unintentionally took time off from the gym and only focused on pilates which was lovely. I also have been working my ass off at Me: Mo and have honestly been loving my job.

As we reach the height of summer and the 6-month anniversary of my sobriety, I wanted to chat all about my journey to ''sobriety'', the benefits, the FOMO and all the in-betweens. I want to mention that if you are triggered by addiction and/or alcohol consumption - please consider this when reading further.

2023. 12 chapters. Let's do this.

Why did I stop drinking?

I think firstly, people assume when someone stops something like drinking suddenly, they relate it to addiction. I was not addicted to alcohol, however, reflecting on my experience in the 5 years, I definitely relied on booze to help with social anxiety and confidence. I have also seen the negative side of alcohol, shown in the closest people around me. I just didn't want to include it in my lifestyle anymore.

When did I want to change my relationship with alcohol?

I went to Bali last September and experienced 2 weeks of alcohol-free living, and enjoyed how clear my head was and balanced my life felt, and wanted to incorporate a sober curious lifestyle when landing back in the UK. This is when my journey to wellness began.

What is a sober curious lifestyle?

The definition of sober curiosity is thinking about your decisions to drink, rather than going along with social pressures. This often means cutting back. It could also mean attending social events without drinking, going to sober bars, or avoiding alcohol when suits.

What is the hardest part of sobriety?

Cutting out alcohol is not easy, and the first month is very very hard, especially, if you used alcohol as a comfort blanket. Like any drug, alcohol produces intense cravings for a person when they try to go cold turkey. I know many people use alcohol as a relief - 1) been a tough day in the office, 2) oh it's sunny outside, let's go to the pub 3) time to cheers to any celebratory occasion. When you jump into being more mindful when drinking, you need to unlearn everything about drinking culture.

Can I still have fun when sober?

You do not need to drink to have fun. OK? When I first stopped drinking, the questions and statements started. I have been asked if I am no longer fun, why am I so boring, what I do in my free time, and so on. I believe I have even more fun now and actually remember what I do with my evenings. and the best part is when I wake up on Sundays with no hangover and I can hit the gym.

How do I keep myself committed?

I think like any new habit, think about why the fuck you started. But also be ok that if you feel like trying alcohol again you have not failed. It is important to be realistic. One of the things I have really focused on is recognising my triggers (aka scrolling social media and FOMO) and knowing when to remove myself from the situation and saying no.

What are my favourite benefits of my sober era?

There are so many benefits to being sober, you look and feel 10x better daily, you get better sleep, you feel brighter day on day, you save a whole load of money weekly (a need in the cost of living crisis) and also your relationship with others is stronger because you aren't spending the majority of the time white girl wasted.

This Month’s Vibe: Enjoying my solocaytion, with a moji-no, a good (trashy) summer read and glorious sunshine

This Month's Little Moments That Mean the Most: Sun, Summer and self-care, aka having self-care treatments, enjoying a soak in the tub, and taking time for myself

This Month’s Favourite: Candlelit pilates, take time to connect to your body and move intuitively

This Month’s Win: Moving into my new apartment !!!

This Month’s Rec: 'The Summer I Turned Pretty'. Bring tissues, you have been warned

This Month’s Motto: Sometimes you don't get what you want because you deserve better

And that's a wrap! If you can't wait another month for August's blog post, I got you! Keep up with The Life of Molly every day and check out my IG here!

Love Molly xoxo