…with stress, and socialising, and it may encourage drinking at risky levels.” Rethinking drinking as a parent The reality is that parenting isn’t easy. Australian television and radio presenter Yumi Stynes certainly agrees. She shared her Personal Story with us when reflecting on motherhood and her relationship with alcohol : ‘Being a woman is like being everything for everyone. So,…
…have a fun, social life with great people who are just like you, without booze. Socialising in early sobriety can be really hard to do in your old social circles. Sometimes you may just need to pause it for a wee while until you gain a bit more sober muscle. Now, over 2 years in for example, socialising in bars…
…feel yourself gaining more control, you will no longer really need their understanding. It’s like waking up from The Matrix. Why it’s so hard for people to accept socialising alcohol-free The first obvious reason that hangs over our head like a cloud is our socio-cultural pressure. Taking a fairly brief look into the history of drinking in Australia, author of The Rum State,…
…and house. When the kids went to bed, I poured a glass of wine while I cooked dinner and another while we ate – the least I deserved after a long, hard day. Fast forward 25 years and my glass had become more like a bottle, more if we were socialising. Regardless of my evening’s activities, every night ended with…
…The main realisation is obvious in hindsight but difficult to confront when life is already busy: not all enjoyment, socialising and purpose can come from work and family. No matter where we find ourselves, it’s imperative to build a community. In my case, the easiest way to do this in a new environment would have been to hit the piss…
…50% drink three or more standard drinks per day, while the national guidelines recommend drinking no more than two to reduce the lifetime risk of harm. It’s clear that alcohol and socialising go hand in hand in Australia and countless reports show there’s real social pressure to partake in booze – even for those who want to reduce alcohol consumption…
Humans are social creatures by design; we crave interaction with others. Hell, it’s even been attributed to longer life expectancy! So the ability to socialise, whether it be with a few people or many, is so important for our wellbeing. Unfortunately, in our society, socialising is overwhelmingly tied-up with drinking alcohol. We come together to connect, to celebrate and to…
…this new normal. Many people find that sober socialising actually helps enormously with their social anxiety, since they become experts at interacting with people without any buffer or anxiety management tool – and feel confident because of this. 5. Reward and celebration As with any behaviour change, we also need to reinforce to ourselves the value of what we’re doing,…
Maintaining friendships is difficult when you change your relationship with alcohol. But while socialising feels like it’s built around alcohol, it doesn’t need to be. Brunch is a rising epidemic. From the humble weekly hangout through to birthdays and weddings, brunch is the answer to all and everything. But when your pals are faithful pub patrons, how do you convince…
…as a daisy this morning and I still have my voice!’” Chrissie focussed on what worked for her to achieve her health goals. But we know that as socialising gets into full swing, maintaining a choice to not drink isn’t always straightforward. Our Hello Sunday Morning Health Coaches remind us that “Making a change is hard. Changing our relationship with…
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