STAGE 1 – TINGLING

You recognise its time to ditch the booze!

You’ve probably tried giving up the before, looked to moderate, but ended up back where you started. Alcohol is affecting your health, relationships, and mental wellbeing. It’s possibly draining your finances and holding you back from living the life of your dreams. You’ve asked yourself –Would be my life be better physically and emotionally without the booze? You know the answer is yes!  You feel nervous and have a sense of FOMO (fear of missing out) but you are ready to give it a try.

Milestone: You’ve joined The Sober Club and are ready to make the decision to be alcohol free for a minimum of 30 days. You may be a few days or even weeks into your journey and you feel determined, if a bit shaky!

Actions: Introduce yourself to the community. Focus on the first lessons of ‘Get the Buzz without the booze’ keeping a journal. Get inspired! Listen to Alcohol Free Life podcasts and choose some books from the recommended reading list.  Watch the videos on cravings and how the brain works and ensure that you eat well. Go to the ‘Members Resources’ menu, select anything from the pull down categories and look for content tagged with the BLUE colour flag.  These colour tags are only ‘guides’, of course its all ‘dipp-inable’, you are free to look at any content at any time if it resonates with you. 

STAGE 2 – BUBBLING

You are finding your fit in your sober shoes

You have experienced some of the benefits of ditching the booze, but it’s clear that there are still some unwanted cravings or uncomfortable feelings of discomfort.  There may be health issues that you are noticing without booze to mask it all, but you are on the road to feeling stronger. You have probably experienced a social event, birthday, special occasion by now and are navigating ways of coping without the booze. You are aware that thoughts of moderation may take you by surprise, the ‘addictive voice’ is still there sometimes, and so you’re challenging yourself and recalling how you felt when you made your commitment

Milestone: You have completed 30 days plus alcohol free. You are now looking forward to the next milestone.  You are noticing your thoughts and are gathering your ‘sober toolkit’

Actions: Commit to a further six or nine months alcohol free. Continue to work through the course. Get clarity on your own needs and resources and begin to gather your sober toolkit.  Look into good nutrition to support your brain chemistry. Go to the ‘Members Resources’ menu, select anything from the pull down categories and look for content tagged with the GREEN colour flag.  These colour tags are only ‘guides’, of course its all ‘dipp-inable’, you are free to look at any content at any time if it resonates with you. 

STAGE 3 – POPPING

You are focused on a better life without the booze

You are now feeling less anxious and fearful, but may still have a sense of vulnerability as other ‘layers’ start to peel away. You hear loud and clear that some areas of your life aren’t working well, you know they will have to be addressed, but you can sense a new resilience. You are finding you have more time and may be establishing new hobbies and imagining new goals and dreams.

Milestone: Congratulations, you are over ninety days sober. You have completed the online course and feel confident to socialise without alcohol being an issue.

Actions: Tune in to your values. Be honest with yourself at what you need to look at next, ask what other areas of your health and wellbeing need to upscale.  Create a vision board to paint a picture of how you want your life without the booze to be. Go to the ‘Members Resources’ menu, select anything from the pull down categories and look for content tagged with the YELLOW colour flag.  These colour tags are only ‘guides’, of course its all ‘dipp-inable’, you are free to look at any content at any time if it resonates with you. 

STAGE 4 – FIZZING

You’re changing your life and can imagine a brighter future.

You are starting to feel a new confidence, you are more at peace with yourself. You are now tapping into what’s best for you in terms of nutrition, fitness and general wellbeing. You are beginning to figure out how to set boundaries around relationships and you are becoming more balanced and able to practice good self-care.

Milestone: You are nine months plus sober. You think about alcohol far less, and have no cravings or desire to drink. You are curious about what your future holds.

Actions: Immerse yourself in topics that motivate you towards optimum health and well-being. Look at your values and challenge yourself to be open to new possibilities. If there is a pressing health or well-being issue that you haven’t addressed, do it now! Go to the ‘Members Resources’ menu, select anything from the pull down categories and look for content tagged with the PINK colour flag.  These colour tags are only ‘guides’, of course its all ‘dipp-inable’, you are free to look at any content at any time if it resonates with you. 

STAGE 5 – SPARKLING

You feel like a different person and want to get the best from your new life!

You are feeling amazing, full of gratitude and have made many changes. You make conscious choices and are on track for living your best life. You now recognise your own needs and the resources that best support you and you know what to focus on to maintain your sobriety. You are clear that you have zero need for alcohol in your life and you feel inspired to continue to work on any areas of your health and wellbeing that need improvement and you also now want to ‘give back and inspire and encourage others.

Milestone:  You are one year or more alcohol free, and are ready to move to the next level in your life.

Action: Take stock of your life, it may be time to embark on tackling another behaviour change. (You can go back and re-do the course replacing the word alcohol) There is always another layer to reveal!  Stay connected and always curious as to how amazing your life can be.  Regularly celebrate how far you have come. Enjoy inspiring others to achieve what you have achieved. Go to the ‘Members Resources’ menu, select anything from the pull down categories and look for content tagged with the RED colour flag.  These colour tags are only ‘guides’, of course its all ‘dipp-inable’, you are free to look at any content at any time if it resonates with you. 

Embrace your superpowers!