"Mocktail March"

At the start of March, I decided I just wasn’t going to drink. I called it Mocktail March.

It wasn’t something I saw online, a trend, wellness challenge, or hashtag. I made it up on the spot one night when I was asked to go out with friends. Saying “I’m actually sober this month” felt weirdly serious like it required some sort of explanation. There wasn’t some big reason behind it, and alcohol isn’t something I crave in my life, but I noticed that I tend to feel much better when I take long breaks from drinking every once in a while. Better sleep, clearer mornings, money saved, and more energy.

It’s funny how language can make things easier sometimes.

Saying “It’s mocktail march for me” made it feel light, casual and intentional at the same time. Just a little experiment I was running for myself, and the month has felt so good. A small label for something I really needed: a break, and time to rebuild all of the healthy habits that I let slip a little when I moved to Manhattan in the fall.

I was still invited out to every plan and event, and the pressure to drink didn’t exist. I have gone out a few times this month, and while my social battery definitely wasn’t as full as if I had a couple vodka crans in me, I still had fun with my girlfriends and realized that a lycee mocktail made me just as happy.

I’m really big on people taking time to reset whenever it feels wanted or needed. I’ve been guilty of sometimes thinking that a change has to be super dramatic to matter, like a whole new identity or lifestyle switch. But sometimes its quite simply just… Mocktail March.

A small pause. A little space. A reminder that you can step out of routine and into a different one whenever you want, even if only for a month or two.

And honestly? giving it a fun name might have been the best part.