How to Reset After Summer: Sober Mindset Tips to Stop Drinking and Avoid Relapse This Fall

Episode 239: How to Reset After Summer: Sober Mindset Tips to Stop Drinking and Avoid Relapse This Fall

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"Fall is your season to reset and recommit and move forward in your alcohol free journey."

Here’s a Glance at This Episode 

In episode 239 of the Sober Vibes podcast, I talk about how to reset after summer if your sobriety didn’t go as planned. Maybe you slipped at a barbecue, maybe you lost momentum during vacation season, or maybe you just feel drained from juggling it all. Fall is the perfect opportunity to release the shame, re-anchor into your why, and create new rituals that actually support your alcohol-free lifestyle. This episode is your invitation to stop beating yourself up and start moving forward with clarity and confidence.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How to release shame and turn slips into learning opportunities.
• Why fall is the perfect season to reset and re-anchor into your why.
• Simple rituals and routines that help you stay grounded without alcohol.

Did your summer sobriety not go the way you planned? If so, you are not alone. I know how challenging it can be to commit to a sober summer, a dry July, or even an alcohol-free August when the season is filled with vacations, barbecues, weddings, and kids running wild without their usual school structure. Summer can make sobriety feel harder than it has to be.

The good news is that a new season is here. You are listening to episode 239 of the Sober Vibes podcast, and in this one I am helping you reset after summer, release the shame, and recommit to your alcohol-free journey this fall. Fall naturally brings structure, routines, and a sense of change. This is the perfect time to reset and move forward with clarity and confidence.

If you slipped, if you drank when you did not mean to, or if you just felt less solid than you hoped, take a deep breath. You are not starting over from zero. You are starting today with more insight and more strength than you had before.

Release the Shame and Learn From It

The first step to resetting after summer is to let go of the shame. Shame tells us that we are terrible people. That mindset will keep you stuck. Shame keeps you small, isolated, and repeating the same cycle because you are too busy punishing yourself to focus on learning and moving forward.

Instead of shame, I want you to lean into curiosity. Sobriety is a growth mindset. It is not about being perfect, it is about learning. Ask yourself: what was happening this summer when you slipped? Were you tired? Lonely? Overwhelmed by social pressure? Comparing yourself to other people’s sobriety journeys on Instagram?

None of these things are excuses. They are insights. Look at them as data, not as proof that you failed. Sobriety is not a pass or fail exam. It is a learned behavior, and it is also about unlearning old patterns that were tied to drinking. Every slip, every struggle, every wobble is an opportunity to understand yourself better.

This is why I do not shame slips. I will never tell you to go back to day one unless that genuinely motivates you. For many people, counting days is overwhelming. When you “fail” a day count, you can feel backed into a corner and say “forget it” and keep drinking. I want you to find what works for your lifestyle and personality. Put your blinders on, stop looking left and right, and release that shame.

Take some time to reflect: what did you really need this summer when alcohol snuck back in? That answer will help you plan better for the season ahead.

Re-Anchor Into Your Why and Set Fall Intentions

Fall is a natural reset season. Think about it. The leaves are shedding, kids go back to school, routines tighten up, and there is more structure all around. Even the energy shifts when the weather changes.

I once read that for some people, the new year does not start in January, it starts in September. And honestly, that makes a lot of sense. For me, especially after becoming a mom, I get it. Fall feels like a fresh start.

So this is the perfect time to re-anchor into your why. And remember, your why is not static. Your why today may look very different than it did a year ago, or even six years ago. Life changes, and so should the reasons that motivate you to stay alcohol-free.

Ask yourself: why do you want to be alcohol-free right now? Is it your health? Is it to fully show up as a parent? Do you want to feel proud of yourself? Do you want to finally step off the hamster wheel of regret?

Write it down. Revisit it daily. Yes, every day. Because drinking is so easy to access in today’s world. You can drive five minutes to buy it, or even have it delivered to your door. That is why revisiting your why has to become a daily ritual.

Then visualize yourself on January 1st. Imagine how it would feel to show up as the version of you that stayed committed this fall. No regret. No shame. Just clarity, presence, and growth. That is possible for you if you set your intentions now and keep them front and center.

Create New Rituals for This Season

A big part of why summer is so hard is because drinking is tied to so many rituals: patio happy hours, lake days, tailgates, beach coolers, parties, and barbecues. If those rituals pulled you back in, then fall is your chance to create new ones.

Here are some simple ideas:

• Swap Sunday mimosas for a cozy fall walk with a coffee.
  
• Try out an evening tea ritual, or keep your fridge stocked with alcohol-free ciders and mocktails.
  
• Replace scrolling with a quick journal practice. Just ask yourself: What am I grateful for today? or How did it feel to show up alcohol-free today?
  
• Light a candle, put your phone away, and read before bed.
  
  

These little rituals might not feel like much, but they build self-trust. They show your brain that joy, comfort, and relaxation are still available without alcohol. And the more you practice them, the stronger they become.

At first, the pull toward alcohol might feel overwhelming. But after 90 days of replacing those old habits with new rituals, something shifts. The cravings get lighter, the pull is not as strong, and one day you realize you do not think about alcohol nearly as much.

Moving Forward With Confidence

If your summer did not go as planned, please hear me: you are not starting from zero. You are starting again with more data, more clarity, and more strength than you had before.

Look at where you overextended yourself. Were you people pleasing? Saying yes when you should have said no? Ignoring your introvert needs? Overbooking yourself until you were overstimulated? All of these things are reasons why people turn back to alcohol. They are not proof that you cannot do this.

Moving forward means embracing boundaries, saying no, and being honest about what you can and cannot handle. It might mean going to therapy to deal with something from your past. It might mean leaning into community support instead of trying to go it alone.

Fall is your season to reset and recommit. And remember, confidence does not come before action. It comes after. The more days you show up, the stronger your confidence will grow.

Conclusion

Summer can be messy, but fall is the season of clarity. Release the shame. Re-anchor into your why. Create new rituals that support the life you want. You do not need to wait for January 1st or some mythical “perfect day” to start again.

If you are ready to reset, the best time is today. And I promise you, your future self will thank you for it.

As always, thank you for being here with me on the Sober Vibes podcast. You are not alone in this. Share this episode with a friend who needs it, check the resources linked in the show notes, and keep showing up for yourself.

Keep on trucking and stay healthy out there.

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