What to do instead of drinking: evenings, events and drinks
The hardest part of not drinking is often the time and ritual it leaves empty. Here are practical ideas by situation, so you are not inventing a plan in the moment.
The simplest way to not drink is to have something specific to do at the times you usually would. NIAAA recommends distracting yourself with a healthy activity when you feel an urge [1]. Below are ideas by situation: evenings at home, after work, social events and alcohol-free drinks. These are practical suggestions, not research findings.
Why a plan beats willpower
Drinking is usually tied to time and place: the glass of wine while cooking, the drink to unwind after work, the weekend bar. When you stop, you are not only removing alcohol but a ritual. NIAAA’s advice for an urge is to distract yourself with a healthy activity [1]. Deciding the activity in advance makes that easy to do.
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Evenings at home
- Replace the ritual, not just the drink. If you poured a glass while cooking, pour something else: sparkling water with lime, tea, a mocktail.
- Move the first hour. A walk, a stretch or a short workout right after work, before you reach for anything.
- Cook something that takes effort. It fills time and gives you a reward at the end.
- Start a small project. A puzzle, a craft, a language app, a book you have meant to read.
- Take a long shower or bath. Cheap, calming, and hard to do with a drink.
- Go to bed earlier. Sleep is often shaky early on, so a calm wind-down helps.
After work and when stressed
- Take a ten-minute walk before you go home, to mark the end of the workday.
- Call or message a friend while you walk.
- Write three lines in a journal about the day. Our sober journal prompts can help.
- Do a short breathing exercise. Sober Girl’s Craving SOS has one with a 10-minute timer.
What to drink instead of alcohol
- Sparkling water with citrus, ice and herbs.
- Herbal or iced tea.
- A mocktail you make at home, so it feels like an occasion.
- Alcohol-free beer, wine or spirits, if you like the taste. Check the label. Some products described as alcohol-free or non-alcoholic still contain a small amount of alcohol, which matters if you want to avoid it completely. Some people also find these keep the ritual alive, so use your judgement.
Weekends and the empty hours
- Book something for the time you used to drink: a class, a hike, a market, a long breakfast.
- Spend part of the money you save. Our sobriety calculator shows how much that is.
- Make one plan with another person each weekend.
Is Sober Girl right for you?
- use an Android phone (the iPhone app is coming soon)
- want a private tracker, with your journal kept on your device
- want a day counter, money saved and a daily check-in in one calm place
- want a Craving SOS with a breathing exercise and a 10-minute timer
- want to start free and add Plus only if you need the journal, insights or milestone cards
- need it on an iPhone today (the App Store version is coming soon)
- want a community feed, live coaching or an AI chat
- want a structured multi-week education program
- need medical help for heavy drinking or withdrawal. An app is not treatment, so see the safety notes above
Frequently asked questions
What can I do instead of drinking?
Replace the ritual: a walk after work, a mocktail while cooking, a call to a friend, a project, an earlier bedtime. NIAAA recommends distracting yourself with a healthy activity when you have an urge.
What should I drink instead of alcohol?
Sparkling water with citrus, tea, or a mocktail. If you choose alcohol-free beer or wine, check the label, because some contain a small amount of alcohol.
How do I fill the time I used to spend drinking?
Plan it. Book something for the usual drinking times, spend part of what you save, and make at least one plan with another person each week.
How do I go to social events without drinking?
Have an alcohol-free drink in your hand, decide an end time, drive yourself and suggest plans that are not built around alcohol.
Sources
- How to Stop Alcohol Cravings. NIAAA, Rethinking Drinking.
How we write these. Every figure above links to the source it came from, and we label self-reported and observational results as such. Where we could not find a source we trust, the page says so instead of filling the gap. Sober Girl is made by ShipAI Lab and this is not medical advice. Sources were checked on 6 October 2026. If you spot an error, email us at integrateopenai@gmail.com.
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