What To Do If You've Had A Slip In Dry January

And How To Keep Moving Forward On Your Alcohol-Free Journey

If you found this blog because you searched the question: What do I do if I've had a slip this Dry January? Here's the short answer:

The most important thing to do when you have a slip is not to repeat it.

Read it again. Write it down. Print it out and carry it with you. Hold onto this.

Whether it's during Dry January or any other break from alcohol, `if and when you have a slip, it doesn't make you a failure. I know it can feel like it, especially for us high-achievers with perfectionist tendencies. 🙋‍♀️ But it is simply not the truth. And what happens after you have a slip is going to make all the difference. I really wish I understood this when I first tried quitting drinking.

The Long Answer: Forming A New Habit Takes Time

In the Feel Good AF methodology, the goal is not to simply remove alcohol from your life. It is to build a life where you feel so effing good, that you wouldn't want to ruin it with alcohol. And part of the work we do to get you there is building new patterns/habits that will support the life you want. This of course includes, choosing to not drink alcohol in all of life's moments.

But breaking old patterns/habits takes time and repetition. And forming new habits also takes time and repetition. And it's likely that this habit has been a part of your life for a while. So disrupting it will take time and energy.

Thought Exercise: Identify A New Healthy Habit

Here's what I want you to do. Take a moment right now and identify a healthy habit you've formed over the last few years. You joined a pickleball team. You changed your diet. You created a new organizational system for your personal admin. Think about what that took for you to truly integrate it into your life. It wasn't perfect, was it? It's likely that you had to get used to it. Study it. Try different techniques. Put in the reps. I'm bringing this up because if you can let go of the idea of perfection and instead can focus on progress, you are going to make way for real, sustainable growth.

What To Do If You Had A Slip

So, if you are reading this and you've just had a slip, have compassion for yourself and get right back into the new pattern that you're trying to build. I mean it. Get right back into the new pattern and get it flowing again! Find the focus. Don't put it off until Monday. Or next month. Recognize it and re-center yourself.

Even if right now you have poured yourself a glass of wine and had a sip. You can walk to the sink, pour it out, and move forward. You can do it and you will be so happy you did.

Because, when we stay in the old pattern for too long, it not only gets harder to get out of, but it will likely push you into discouragement. And when that happens, feelings of shame appear - and if you are anything like me, you will be wondering - how did I get here, again? I had so many moments like this. I would say I was done with drinking, I would have a slip, and then I'd 'throw in the towel'. Rather than recognize it as a data point, and move forward, I'd convince myself that I had failed and that I was never going to be the person who could quit drinking.

Eventually, I would be sick and tired again of how I felt and I would have to dig myself out of the so-called discouragement ditch. You know, the place where you just feel like there is no way that you can actually do anything about well, anything. But in this case, the drinking. And it felt like I was so far from where I wanted to be.

So heed my advice. Don't let a slip turn into a slide. Take it, learn from it, and move forward. This is how you're gonna be successful. This is how the slips happen less and less. And that new pattern, the new normal of living alcohol-free starts to just shine, and you'll see that it's possible. Every day that you're doing the new pattern, your confidence grows, and at some point you'll catch yourself in a really good moment and you'll think "oh my gosh, I'm just getting closer and closer to this life that I'm trying to build for myself."

And that'll be the truth.

Quit Drinking With Support After Dry January

Real change happens when you give yourself space and agency for choice. But you don't have to do it alone. When you join any of the Feel Good AF programs, you will gain access to support from me, your sober coach, and a community of successful, driven, high-achieving women just like you.

We will look at your current patterns, and create a plan that fits into your life. Trust me, we don't burn it all down and start from scratch. We start by stacking small wins, so that you will know right away that feels doable and more importantly, sustainable for you. We're not focused on perfection or never drinking again. If slips happen, we navigate them together and learn from them. We're focused on what are the small changes that you can make now to be successful and not feel like I need to drink at the end of the day,

You will learn a new approach to letting go of alcohol, and feeling so effing good that you wouldn't even think about ruining with a drink.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.

And remember, Lindsay is a sober coach, not a health professional. If you are chemically dependent on alcohol, consult your doctor on the steps you need to take to safely detox.