It can be tough navigating a friendship circle if you're the only alcohol-free one and the rest are drinkers. Hopefully, they are supportive friends that don't say things like 'why don't you just have one drink?' or 'come on, be fun.' Friends that just want you to be happy, healthy living your best life are the ones to keep around. No room for any negativity!

You might have friends who are really serious about a life without alcohol or maybe its something they say over and over again but never actually get around to trying. But, being the encouraging friend to someone who is on the cusp can make all the difference. 

So how might you go about supporting your friend who may be asking questions like, "Is life better without alcohol?, How do I cut back on drinking? What can I do at home instead of drinking?" Check out these tips.

Tip #1: Tell them about the positive effects its had on your life. Your friend will definitely want to reap all the benefits if you're talking about sleeping better, a clearer mind, and taking back your weekends. 

Tip #2: Encourage them to set small goals first.  Tell your friend that going a week without drinking, or only drinking on the weekends is a great start in the right direction. Once they master the small goals, they will want to push themselves to go a bit longer. The benefits will become super obvious the longer they do it and they won't be ready to let those go.

Tip #3: Show them alcohol-free alternatives.  Your friend might be stuck when it comes to what to order when out for dinner, or what to hold in their hand if they decide to stop drinking. Thats where you come in! Now that there is so many great alcohol-free alternatives, have your friend try them out. There are plenty of amazing alcohol-free wines, alcohol-free spirits, or alcohol-free beers no matter what their preferences are! They might think its a bid odd to order a mocktail while out, but usually they taste amazing, plus not having the nasty side effects. 

Tip #4: Give them resources. Whether your friend prefers Instagram or Facebook, there are so many awesome pages and groups that promote the alcohol-free lifestyle. Not only that, but they make it look fun! Finding like minded people who are trying out the same thing make it less scary and intimidating. Encourage your friend to follow some of these. 

Tip 5: Plan activities with your friend that don't require drinking. Go out hiking, set up a picnic on the beach, watch a good movie. There are SO many alternatives than just going out for drinks or heading to a party on the weekend. Getting comfortable with saying 'no' to your usual hangouts and doing something different might just make you realize what you've been missing all along. 

We hope these tips will help you encourage your sober curious friends to take the leap and try out an alcohol-free lifestyle. Even if they decide to stick to drinking, thats okay, they are now more aware of options than beforehand! Thats a win in our book.