Mindful Strategies for an Alcohol Free Holiday Season

To 'skål' is to be social. To celebrate together. Regardless of the amount of alcohol in our glasses.

- Morten Sørensen, Founder, ISH Spirits, Denmark

An earlier version of the article was published on December 8, 2021.

The social pressure is all around to imbibe on boozy drinks throughout the holidays. At every turn, there will be another reason to grab a glass of wine or cocktail. If you’re rethinking drinking, holiday part season is a great time to develop some strategies for navigating social events that will serve you all year long. Here are some tips and strategies for surviving the holidays without a hangover!

Before heading out to a gathering or party 

Make a mental list of the people you’re excited to chat and hang out with. Ask yourself whether it’s the drinks or those people that will bring you satisfaction and happiness. Try and hang on to that throughout the day/evening when you’re not drinking (and if the drinks is the only thing that seems exciting, maybe that gathering is not worth your precious time!) 

The infamous question: Do you want a drink or what can I get you to drink? 

When you arrive at your destination, no doubt your host will greet you as if you’re a thirsty traveller. A great response to the eponymous question of “Do you want a drink?” is, “Yes, I’d love [sparkling water/diet coke/water] right now, thanks!” It might throw your hostess for a moment, but eventually no-one will notice what you’re drinking as they’ll be too busy thinking about their own drinks. With more people choosing an alcohol-free lifestyle and being aware of inclusive hospitality, you might find your host has some fun options on hand, too.

BYOB

Another strong strategy is to bring your own, delicious alcohol-free drinks. There are so many great tasting new alcohol-free ‘ready-to-drink’ options that you can throw in a purse or bag. Then when someone asks you what you want to drink, you can deflect with the following:  

“No thanks, I brought my own. I’m really loving this beer/cocktail/drink right now, so I brought some along with me!”

No need to tell anyone it’s alcohol-free, although if you do, don’t be surprised if you have people who’d like to give it a try!

Keep a drink in your hand

If FOMO is an issue for you, consider whether you will still have FOMO tomorrow morning when you wake up feeling great. Regardless, keep something cold in your hand to sip at all times. Whether it’s a non alcoholic beer or wine, a glass of sparkling water, or a mindful cocktail, it helps to ease social anxiety around not drinking. 

And finally…

If you’ve spend years equating the holidays with alcohol, it’s bound to feel a little strange to skip the booze this year. Trust that with a little practice, it will feel more natural. You’ll reap the benefits of better sleep and less anxiety (both challenges during the busy holidays) and reconnect with all the things that make the holidays truly magical - friends, family, food and fun.

Happy Holidays!