Embracing the 2025 Sobriety Challenge: Tips for Success
Are you gearing up for the 2025 Sobriety Challenge? Whether you’re taking a month-long break for Dry January or committing to a year of sobriety, here’s how to approach it with ease and enjoyment—no alcohol necessary. Plus, check out the mocktail recipe from my book, Nurturing Mind, Body, and Soul: Demystifying the Journey.
Dry January is more than just abstaining from alcohol—it’s an opportunity to reset, refocus, and build healthier habits. With the right mindset and strategies, you can navigate challenges and make the most of your experience.
Why Consider the Sobriety Challenge?
Dry January isn’t just about skipping alcohol for 31 days; it’s about intention and growth. Studies have shown that participants often drink less even six months after the challenge. Sobriety can lead to mental clarity, better physical health, and a fresh perspective on your relationship with alcohol.
But remember, this is not a replacement for treatment if you’re facing alcohol use disorder. Instead, it’s a chance to experiment with new habits and reset your year.
Tips for Success
Share Your Goals
Tell your trusted friends and family about your plan. Accountability can strengthen your resolve, and you may even inspire someone to join you. Casey McGuire Davidson, a sobriety coach, emphasizes that having a support system can make a big difference. Dry January provides a built-in community to help you stay motivated.
Stay Social Without Alcohol
Social events can feel daunting without a drink in hand, but they don’t have to be. Elizabeth Dunn, a happiness researcher, notes that social connection is a major predictor of happiness. Focus on the joy of engaging with others, even through lighthearted small talk.
Stylist Laurel Pantin, who has embraced sobriety, suggests arriving prepared. Bring a non-alcoholic drink you enjoy and have a simple, honest response ready if people ask why you’re not drinking.
Shift Your Perspective
Behavioral science shows that focusing on others, rather than worrying about how you’re perceived, can alleviate self-consciousness. Approach conversations with curiosity. As artist Brianna Lance suggests, ask questions or share stories to foster connections without the haze of alcohol.
Building New Habits
Create Friction Points
Making it harder to drink can help you stick to your goals. Move alcohol to less accessible spots or remove it from your home altogether. Simple changes, like storing wine glasses out of reach, can disrupt the usual patterns that lead to drinking.
Replace Old Routines
Fill moments previously tied to alcohol with new, enjoyable activities. Deep breathing, tea-making, or other calming rituals can be excellent alternatives to a nightcap. Experiment to find what works best for you.
Reward Yourself
Treat yourself during the challenge. Plan fun outings, like a pedicure or movie night, to celebrate milestones. As Khadi Oluwatoyin, founder of the Sober Girls Club, advises, balance your goals with self-care. Avoid overloading your plate with too many resolutions at once.
Small Steps, Big Changes
Ultimately, Dry January is an invitation to reevaluate and reset. Embrace the journey with curiosity and grace. It’s not just about what you give up but about what you gain—clarity, connection, and a renewed sense of control over your choices.
Inspired by the New York Times articles: “Considering Dry January? Set Yourself Up for Success” and “Everything You Need to Know About Dry January”.
Energetic Cord Cutting: Releasing Emotional Ties
What Is Cord Cutting?
Bonds formed with others create energetic cords linking us. While these cords can stem from any relationship—romantic, familial, or platonic—they can sometimes become burdens. Negative cords may drain our energy, hinder personal growth, and block inner peace.
Cord cutting involves grounding, visualization, symbolic severing, and cleansing our energy fields. The focus is entirely on shifting our own energy, not altering anyone else’s. Success is often marked by feelings of relief, peace, and vitality.
When to Perform a Cord-Cutting
A cord-cutting can help you release emotional ties when:
- A relationship has ended, and you’re struggling to move forward.
- Someone in your life leaves you feeling emotionally drained.
- Past experiences or events keep causing distress.
- Resentment or bitterness is holding you back.
- You find yourself obsessing over another’s opinions or actions.
Signs of Unhealthy Energetic Cords
- Depleted energy or frequent exhaustion.
- Feelings of being stuck, sad, or unmotivated.
- Obsessive thoughts or frequent judgmental talk about someone.
- Lowered immunity or recurring illness.
- Addictive behaviors or unhealthy habits (e.g., overeating, over-exercising).
Steps for Cord-Cutting
- Ground Yourself
Begin with a breathing or relaxation exercise to center your energy and create a calm, focused state. - Visualize the Cord
Imagine the energetic cord connecting you to a person or situation. Picture its location and strength, bringing awareness to its presence. - Symbolically Sever the Cord
Visualize cutting the cord with a symbolic tool, such as scissors or a knife, as an act of deliberate release. - Cleanse Your Energy Field
Use visualization to clear residual energy, replacing it with positive energy, love, and compassion. Imagine the space left behind being filled with light and warmth. - Set an Intention
Seal the practice with an affirmation or blessing. For example:
“I sever and release all energetic cords that no longer serve my highest good. I reclaim my energy, creating a boundary of love and light.” - Reinforce Energetic Boundaries
Visualize a protective layer of light surrounding you, acting as a shield to maintain your energy and peace.
Patience and Practice
Cord cutting is an iterative process. Emotional ties are complex and may require multiple sessions to fully release. Each ritual peels back layers of attachment, allowing transformation to unfold gradually.
Does Cord Cutting Affect Others?
Cord cutting is a personal practice aimed at regaining our emotional balance and peace. It doesn’t change how the other person feels or thinks; it focuses on letting go of an unhealthy attachment, such as being overly affected by someone’s opinion of us. This practice doesn’t end the relationship itself, but removes the negative connection. If you’re hesitant about cutting the cord, you can instead visualize tying a bow around the cut end and gently sending the cord and person off with a gesture of goodwill such as blowing them away with a kiss.
The Power of Cord Cutting
By severing unhelpful emotional ties, we create space for empowerment, inner peace, and self-care. This ritual can heal past wounds and guide us toward a future of emotional well-being and growth.
A Blessing for Energetic Cord Cutting
You may choose to speak this affirmation:
“I now sever and release any and all energetic cords that do not serve my highest good. I release you and myself from these binds. My energy returns to me, filling me with vitality. I am surrounded by a peaceful boundary of love and light.”
Follow the blessing with quiet meditation, visualizing your reclaimed energy and strengthened boundaries. Carry this sense of renewal as you step confidently into the next chapter of your life.
References
Edwards, S. (2015). Love and the Brain. Harvard Medical School. https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-archive/brain/love-brain
Lang, M., Krátký, J., & Xygalatas, D. (2020). The role of ritual behaviour in anxiety reduction: an investigation of Marathi religious practices in Mauritius. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 375(1805), 20190431. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0431
Solan, M. (2022, December 1). The real power of placebos. Harvard Health. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-real-power-of-placebos
Chicken Parm Meatball Soup with Lemon and Spinach
This hearty and refreshing lemony chicken meatball soup is a balance of comfort and lightness. Rolled oats replace traditional breadcrumbs, creating tender meatballs made with ground chicken, Parmesan cheese, and fresh dill. A half-cup of oats is also simmered into the broth, giving it a rich texture and subtle thickness. Packed with vibrant spinach and brightened with the addition of lemon, this soup is a tasty and versatile choice for lunch or dinner.
Cranberry Upside Down Bliss Cake
Indulge in a slice of joy with this Cranberry Upside Down Bliss Cake! This dessert features a golden, buttery cake topped with a luscious layer of tart, caramelized cranberries. Delivering a perfect balance of flavors! This show-stopping cake will have your guests asking for seconds! Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra touch of bliss.
Apple Almond Cake
Indulge in the delightful fusion of flavors with this Apple Almond Butter Cake. This cake has a moist, tender crumb enriched with the nutty goodness of almond flour and the warmth of aromatic cardamom. Sweet, juicy apple slices nestled within and atop the batter, caramel as they bake. With a vanilla buttery richness, each bite blends perfectly into comforting autumn flavors. Finished with a light dusting of powdered sugar, this cake is perfect for any occasion.
Velvety Butternut Squash Risotto
Get ready to dive into a bowl of cozy deliciousness with this creamy butternut squash risotto, elevated by the freshness of sage. Arborio rice, blended with sweet, roasted butternut squash, gets a flavor boost from the earthy sage. Finished with a sprinkle of parmesan, this dish brings all the fall feels—warm, creamy, and satisfying. Perfect for a cozy night in!
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Hi there, I’m Christine! Welcome to Real Yummies with Chris. I am currently living in Southern California with my husband. I am a Board Certified Holistic Nutrition Consultant, Art Therapist, and Hypnotherapist. I enjoy REAL food… avoid processed and refined foods, and am a “conscientious omnivore” that believes in balanced eating. While many pervasive generalizations surround nutrition and well-being, I think eating and health should be approached with the individual in mind. I do not believe there is a one-size-fits-all solution to health and well-being. Real Yummies with Chris is a community of individuals with various dietary needs (including intolerances and allergies) looking to feel good, trust their bodies, and tune into their inner wisdom.
Real Yummies
- Sparkling Lemon Rose Refresher
- Embracing the 2025 Sobriety Challenge: Tips for Success
- Energetic Cord Cutting: Releasing Emotional Ties
- Chicken Parm Meatball Soup with Lemon and Spinach
- Cranberry Upside Down Bliss Cake
- Apple Almond Cake
- Butternut Squash Soup with Wild Mushrooms and White Miso
- Velvety Butternut Squash Risotto
- Autumn Spiced Pear and Fig Compote
- Creamy Pumpkin Spice Smoothie