Happy Alcohol-Free Holidays Ahead
Happy Alcohol-Free Holidays Ahead
Vol. 8: A Weekly Love Note
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Well hello lovely reader! It’s me, your faithful messy bun wearing weekly writer, Jess. For those of you new around here - it’s my mission to slip a little note your way every week, filled with topics related to embracing a sober lifestyle, motherhood, running, God, homeschooling, and more!
Well HAPPY November and HAPPY Friday,
Was anyone else thrilled to throw all the Halloween decorations in the bin and get the tree up!? Yes, my tree is up. It’s sparkling, it makes me happy, and I’m pretty sure there have been countless studies that prove people who have Christmas decorations up longer are happier. Just sayin’.
As we quickly approach the holiday season, it can of course be an exciting time of year for many. But for a lot of the alcohol-free folks, it can welcome a lot of different emotions. While we’re undeniably grateful for our sober lifestyle and intend to stay the course, it can also feel a little lonely when it seems like you’re the only person not drinking in the room.
To get your mindset in the right place and prepare you for the festive times ahead, I’d love to share 7 tips on how to minimize holiday season FOMO (fear of missing out):
Give yourself permission to say no to the “should’s”. Challenge yourself to only show up to the events, traditions, and tasks that are truly important to you. Not the things you feel like you “should” attend or do. Decide if they are a joy-bringer or a stress-inducer and respond accordingly.
Go on a social media fast. Eliminate the opportunity to engage in unhealthy comparison. Either set a timer on your phone or consider removing the app all together for the holidays. You may actually discover you’re more present and happier without it.
Remind yourself of the real reason for the season: Connection, Togetherness, and Love. It’s not a time for drunkenness, overspending, overwhelm, and drama. It’s a time to be together with those you love, engaging in meaningful conversations, and slowing down.
Bring your own non-alcoholic drinks. Sometimes we might feel left out because we’ve failed to make a plan ahead of time. Instead of feeling like the only one sipping on boring water (yay for staying hydrated though!), make sure to pick up some fun mocktail ingredients, a new non-alcoholic beer, or a kombucha. Having a fun non-alcoholic beverage in hand can help you feel included.
Start new traditions. If many of your traditions in the past have revolved around alcohol, consider creating new traditions. Maybe this Christmas morning, you enjoy a warm cup of tea and go on a big walk with your significant other. Maybe this Thanksgiving, instead of sipping on wine while cooking, you get the kids in the kitchen, blast some music, and create a fun mocktail with them. Don’t underestimate the power of communicating your goals with your family/friends and working together to start new, fun traditions together.
Remember your “why” aka focus on what you’re gaining, not losing. While the holidays tend to put you in a room full of people consuming alcohol and yes, I get it… occasionally it might not seem fair that they seem to be able to drink without consequences. Here’s the deal: it’s important to remember that everyone has a unique relationship with alcohol. We made this lifestyle upgrade because we didn’t like how alcohol was showing up in our lives. We’ve got a monster list of benefits that we hold dear to our heart. Before the holidays, I’d encourage you to physically write that list down and have it handy for those times you might need a reminder most.
Think logically. When you start to feel like you’re missing out, pause. Pause and really think about what it is you think you’re missing out on. What causes you to feel left out? Is it because you think you’re missing out on the social connection?Cause here’s the reality pal, once the slurred words and repeated stories start to roll out, any real connection is out the window. The truth is, you are NOT missing out on anything except a gnarly hangover in the morning.
xo, Jess
Newest Episodes on Decidedly Dry:
Episode #79: 5 Ways to Grow in your Faith as a Busy Sober Christian Mom.
For those of you tuning in that are asking, “Jess… what the heck does sobriety have to do with you exploring your faith?” Friend, it has everything to do with my faith journey. Everything. If I had not retired that wine glass, I would not be the person I am today. I wouldn’t be as brave as I am now, as clear-minded or as empowered. I wouldn’t have the guts to even say the word ‘God’, let alone have a conversation about Him, especially here on this podcast. I wouldn’t have the time or dedication to sit in my feelings, ask hard questions, and have the awareness that maybe, just maybe, it hasn’t been the “universe” all along. Nope, it’s been God. In fact, if you would’ve told me five years ago I would be alcohol-free, be reading the Bible for the first time, and actively learning how to strengthen my relationship with God and develop deep roots of faith?! I would have called you CRAZY and poured another glass of wine.
The point here is I am a different person than I was back then. I’m becoming a version of myself that quite frankly I don’t always recognize, but happens to be the best version I’ve ever met. You’ve heard me say it before and I’ll say it again, it feels good to feel good. And I don’t know about you, but when I feel good, I want others to feel good too.
Episode #80: Is Alcohol Sabotaging your Fitness Goals?
In this episode, we’ll be touching on an incredible juicy topic: we’re going to chat about how alcohol is sabotaging your fitness goals. My hope is that after listening to this episode, you’ll discover if you ditch the booze, you’ll soon notice better performance and an unbelievably more enjoyable workout.
Alright, let me set the scene for ya - you’ve all seen it before… the free beer at the end of the half marathon, the mimosa bar after hot yoga - it seems like we’ve entered a world that has lost their bloody mind, am I right? When did our culture decide that alcohol and exercise were a good combo? Anybody? Anybody? Buehler?!
I did my homework leading up to this episode and want to share with you what some of the experts out there have to say on the topic of how alcohol impacts our workouts. The bottom line: Going dry will help you stay on track with your health related goals and in tip-top performance shape. Period.
Things I’m Digging:
Brown Bananas? Make the Bread, Babe! My Mom is notorious for always having a warm loaf of banana bread on the counter, and while this one isn’t the exact recipe she uses, it’s pretty darn close. Enjoy! Recipe Here.
My God-Curious Journey: I was recently invited to participate in a Bible study with my dear neighbor (Thanks Kara!) and a few others. We’re studying God’s character and I’ve gotta say, it’s been exciting to read different parts of the Old Testament since all I’ve covered thus far is the four gospels. My latest realization: it’s sure a beautiful thing to get out of your comfort zone and share things about yourself with those you love. You soon discover that many of your closest family members, neighbors and friends want to walk with you. Since I began talking about my faith and my God-Curious journey, I’ve been blown away with the response. I’ve had multiple people reach out inviting me to their church, people sharing resources, studies, and my personal favorite, simply engaging in conversation. It’s remarkable, it’s beautiful and completely comforting knowing I’m on the right path.
Currently Listening To: My youngest every single morning on our way to school: “Hey Siri, play 1984 by Macklemore!” Such a catchy, feel good song. I also LOVE that my boys love listening to music and enjoy belting out the lyrics in the car with their mama.
Reading: Currently reading These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant. So far it’s a beautifully written, suspenseful read. Have you read it?
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One Last Thing…
I just want to take a minute and say thank you for sticking with me. If you’re receiving this email it’s because you’ve either purchased a journal, participated in a wellness challenge of mine, loved my content, purchased coaching, etc. No matter what it was, our paths crossed at some point and you’re still here. That means so much to me and YOU, my sweet friend, are the reason I continue doing what I do. Regardless of which you choose, free or paid, we’re still bff’s.
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