Episode 258: What to Do First When You Decide to Quit Drinking (The 2026 Starter Plan)

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“The moment you decide you might want to quit drinking is usually followed by a big, big, big wave of thoughts.”

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What to do first when you decide to quit drinking
• The biggest mistake people make in the first week without alcohol
• Why quitting drinking is about order, not willpower
• How to prepare for cravings before they hit
• What NOT to worry about yet in early sobriety
• How to calm your nervous system as you transition into a sober lifestyle
• Why wanting sobriety and missing alcohol can both be true

This episode is especially helpful if you’re navigating life after alcohol and feeling unsure, emotional, or overwhelmed by all the advice out there.

What to Do First When You Decide to Quit Drinking

A Simple Week-One Sobriety Plan That Actually Helps You Stick With It

If you listened to last week’s episode on how to quit drinking in 2026 and felt a mix of relief, hope, and then immediately thought, Okay… but now what?
This post is for you.

Because the moment you decide you might want to quit drinking is usually followed by a big wave of thoughts:

• Am I really doing this?
  
• What if I fail again?
  
• How am I supposed to do this with work, kids, stress, life?
  
• What about sex, social events, vacations, or just relaxing?
  
  

I want to slow this down right now.

Not forever.
Not perfectly.
Just for this week.

This is a 2026 starter plan, and it’s intentionally simple. I am a firm believer that early sobriety does not need more pressure, more rules, or more self-discipline. It needs the right order.

The Biggest Mistake People Make in Week One of Sobriety

The biggest mistake I see when people decide to quit drinking is that they start with rules instead of regulation.

Rules like:

• I’m doing 30 days.
  
• I’m doing Dry January.
  
• I’ll never drink again.
  
• I have to be 100% committed.
  
• I cannot mess this up.
  
  

Rules can feel motivating at first, but they also create pressure. And pressure activates your nervous system.

When your body feels stressed or unsafe, it looks for relief.
For a lot of women, alcohol has been that relief.

So when you take alcohol away without replacing what it was doing for you, your system panics. Sobriety starts to feel restrictive, scary, and overwhelming.

That’s not a character flaw.
That’s biology.

Sobriety isn’t about willpower. It’s about order.

In 2026, quitting drinking works best when you focus on:

Calm first.
Then clarity.
Then consistency.

You don’t need to overhaul your life in one day.
You don’t need to announce anything.
You don’t need to know what you’re doing next month.

You just need to know what supports you this week.

Step One: Stop Doing This Mentally (Future Tripping)

The very first thing I want you to stop doing is future tripping.

Stop asking:

• Am I sober forever?
  
• What about weddings?
  
• What about vacations?
  
• What about summer?
  
• What about sex?
  
• What about five years from now?
  
  

These questions are not helpful in week one. All they do is create anxiety.

Here’s what I want you to hear clearly:

The person you will be one year from now is not the person you are today.

The version of you attending a wedding after months or years of sobriety will be regulated, grounded, experienced, and resourced in ways you are not yet. You do not need to solve future scenarios with today’s nervous system.

For now, the only question that matters is this:

What supports me today to stay sober?

That’s it.
One day.
One decision.

Step Two: Put Support in Place Before the First Hard Night

Most people don’t slip because they don’t want sobriety.
They slip because they didn’t plan for the hard moments.

The witching hour.
After work stress.
Loneliness at night.
Emotional exhaustion.
Hormones.
That quiet moment when everything catches up to you.

Before cravings hit, ask yourself:

• What will I drink instead?
  
• Who can I text or listen to?
  
• What helps me transition out of the day?
  
• What helps my body downshift?
  
  

This does not need to be fancy.
It needs to be intentional.

And here’s something important:
Pick one thing.

Not twenty-five options. Not a full Pinterest board of coping skills. When you’re tired or overwhelmed, too many choices become decision fatigue, and decision fatigue leads right back to old habits.

Pick one tool. Use it consistently. Let it work.
When it stops working, then you adjust.

Support beats willpower every single time.

Step Three: What You Do Not Need to Worry About Yet

Early sobriety is not about thriving yet.
It’s about stabilizing.

You do not need to worry about:

• Labels
  
• Timelines
  
• Being “good” at sobriety
  
• Fixing your anxiety
  
• Becoming a whole new person
  
  

Stabilizing is success.

And I want to normalize something that doesn’t get said enough:

You can want to quit drinking and still miss alcohol.
You can feel proud of yourself and scared.
Both can be true at the same time.

That does not mean you’re failing.
It means you’re human.

Early sobriety often comes with romanticizing alcohol, heightened awareness of drinking culture, and noticing triggers everywhere. That’s part of detox and nervous system recalibration. It passes, but only if you don’t panic and quit on yourself.

If You Slip, Here’s What to Do (Without Shame)

This is not about perfection.

If you make it seven, ten, or fourteen days and then slip, that does not erase progress. It gives you information.

Ask yourself:

• Was I hungry, tired, or overstimulated?
  
• Did I overbook myself?
  
• Did I skip rest or nourishment?
  
• Did I help everyone else and ignore myself?
  
• Did I go into the evening without a plan?
  

Sobriety works best when you treat yourself like a system that needs maintenance, not a problem that needs punishment.

You’re learning how to keep yourself regulated. That takes practice.

Self-trust is built one day at a time. One decision at a time.

Make This Simple. Make It Today.

If this feels more doable right now, that’s the point.

This is not about Dry January.
This is not about forever.
This is about doing things differently this year.

If you need more support:

• My one-on-one sober coaching is open.
  
  
• The Sobriety Circle is a women-only community with support at every stage.
  
  
• My book Sober Vibes: A Guide to Thriving in Your First Three Months Without Alcohol is there if you want structure you can move through at your own pace.
  
  

And if all you do today is listen again, reflect, and choose one supportive action, that counts.

You’re not late.
You’re not broken.
You’re not doing this wrong.

You’re learning how to take care of yourself without numbing.

And that matters.

Thank you for listening!

If this episode has helped you, please consider rating and reviewing the podcast. (Five Stars is awesome!)

This helps me continue to make episodes for you. 

★★★★★

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Resources & Support Mentioned:

• Sobriety Circle – community support for sober women
• Sober Breakthrough Session – personalized sobriety guidance
• 1:1 Sober Coaching 
• Free resources for living alcohol free
• Sober Vibes Book

PODCAST SPONSOR:

This episode is sponsored by ExactNature, a trusted holistic tool for anyone navigating recovery and sobriety. Use code SV25 at checkout to save on your order. Click here to shop and save. 

Grab my Masterclass for Free:

Gain access to my Masterclass when you submit a review on iTunes. Email me [email protected] with a screenshot of the review, and I will send you the code to unlock my Masterclass for free!

Thank you for tuning in!

Ready to thrive in your alcohol-free life? Sober Vibes: A Guide to Thriving in Your First Three Months Without Alcohol is your step-by-step guide to navigating early sobriety with confidence.

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