Alcohol + Social Pressure – Harder to Kill Radio #114

Let’s talk about booze.

How to Survive the Holidays

I’ve been a non-drinker for 2+ years. and I shared about it on social media the other day and got so much feedback asking for my personal story and some tips for navigating social scenes and pressure.

But, first things first: if you’re struggling with alcohol or alcohol abuse, please seek help. You can do so here.

There’s a lot of personal reasons why I’m a non-drinker now (hint: gotta listen to the show).

And here’s where I get on my soap box: pop culture has reduced women to being alcohol-dependent bitchy backstabbers. And I’m sick of it. We’ve all seen the memes. It’s become a stereotype for middle-aged women because that’s how we “self-care”.

And it’s damaging. We’re so much more complex than that, ladies. Don’t play into it.

So back to the social aspect of my choice to not drink. Granted, my crowd doesn’t exactly party all the time, but I do find myself in situations where I don’t want to offend my host or make it weird when I choose to abstain from alcohol.

Here’s my number one piece of advice: DON’T MAKE A BFD ABOUT IT. Don’t walk in with a bullhorn and announce that you’re not drinking because of this or that. A simple “No, thank you!” will suffice. As far as fitting in socially, grab a sparkling water and grab a lime. No one knows you’re not drinking tequila.