- Amanda Kuda is a life coach for sober curious non-alcoholic people.
- She quit drinking six years ago on Dry January and never looked back.
- She shared with Insider three tips for getting through the month.
Amanda Kuda has not been drinking since January 1, 2017.
Her intention was to abstain only from dry January. Kuda told her Insider that she was a moderate drinker at the time. She set a limit of three drinks on the weekends and gulped down by alternating drinking with water or sticking to beer alone.
But by making so many rules to stay in moderation, Kuda said she felt like she was setting herself up to fail. She said she decided to stop drinking cold turkey so she wouldn’t have to think about it too much.
“It was a really freeing and empowering feeling,” Kuda told an insider.
Hisada started to like how he feels when he’s not drinking. She set her new goal to become sober for 90 days and then for a year. She has now been alcohol-free for six years and uses her life coaching certification to mentor women who want to “break up with alcohol” in a dry January or permanently.
Kuda said it’s common to feel demoralized as the first month of the year is almost halfway through. Here are some of her tips for staying on track until the end of her dry January.
1. Don’t be afraid to turn down plans
If you’ve set a goal to be alcohol-free this January, chances are you’ll have a few friends in the wagon. Expensive, says Kuda.
“It sounds unfortunate, but it’s also very likely that they’ll try to take you,” she added. No, because they have it. their Sincerely our best interests. ”
Keeping up with friends who aren’t sticking to their resolutions may give them peace of mind when you’re two weeks sober, but it can hinder your own progress.
“If you don’t feel like you have enough determination and willpower to be with people, be in places, or go to events, even if it’s just for the past month, don’t go,” Kuda said.
If you feel uncomfortable in a situation involving alcohol or peer pressure, there’s no shame in leaving early. You don’t even have to say goodbye, he said, Kuda.
2. find other things to do
Looking back on his weekend drinking, Hisada said he thought all he had to do on Friday or Saturday night was “go to a bar and party.” But her sobriety forced her to stretch her mind and open up to her new opportunities.
“If you open your eyes to other possibilities, there could be poetry nights, crafts, art shows, or even a slightly more low-key musical event,” she said.
Even if all your friends seem interested in going out drinking, it doesn’t hurt to suggest alternative plans. “I’m not cut out for that,” Kuda said, suggesting hosting his mocktail night or checking out sites like Eventbrite for something new.
“Maybe on a Friday or Saturday night you’ll find really cool things you never thought of and meet new like-minded people,” she said.
3. Reminds me of a hangover
If all else fails, there will always be memories of past hangovers to remind you why you stopped drinking in the first place.
Kuda said the most compelling event in her first 90 days sober was an all-inclusive vacation wedding in Mexico.
She remembers the complimentary champagne offer and couldn’t help but scan the nice-looking bottle as we walked by the swim-up bar.
“Even the one on the top shelf was screaming ‘brutal hangover,'” she said.
Tempted, Kuda said he quickly realized that even though the alcohol was free, he would pay the price of being unwell.
She decided to go to a juice bar instead and never looked back.