Do You Feel Pressured to Always Drink When You're Out?

In the past, when I went out drinking, I felt compelled to have a drink in my hand at all times. The minute I finished a drink, I’d order another one. Always. Without fail. Irrespective of if I actually wanted another drink or not.

And when asked the inevitable questions...

𝙲𝚊𝚗 𝙸 𝚋𝚞𝚢 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊 𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚔? 𝚂𝚞𝚛𝚎.
𝚂𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚜? 𝙳𝚞𝚑.
𝙼𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚝𝚜? 𝚈𝚎𝚊𝚑!? 🤷‍♀

I’d wake up the next day with an insufferable hangover (☠️), repeating the same conversation I had with myself the week before:

“𝙵𝚞𝚌𝚔. 𝚆𝚑𝚢 𝚍𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏, 𝙳𝚎𝚟𝚒? 𝙽𝚘 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞.”

As much I do love drinking wine and tequila, I don’t particularly enjoy getting fucked up on the reg. I do, however, enjoy going out and being a social butterfly on the reg. But, I was in a predicament, because when I went out I felt obligated to continuously drink throughout the night.

I know you know this and I know I knew this, but you can go out WITHOUT drinking.

I get why this is hard to do because there is that social pressure put on you to drink, especially when you’re in a bar.

When you tell people you’re not drinking, they get all up in your space and chastise your right to say no. They question you. Judge you. And encourage you to, “𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎” even though you already said no.

Listen.

When someone berates you for saying no, it has nothing to do with you and has absolutely everything to do with them. It’s stirring something up for them. It’s triggering them in some way, bringing up an insecurity, and challenging their beliefs. As a result, they project on you.

^^ that’s not your problem. It’s not your work. 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠.

The next time you’re out, before giving that impulsive “yes,” ask yourself if YOU actually want another drink.

You’re under no obligation to have another drink, even when someone offers...even when all your friends are taking another round of shots. You don’t have to conform.

Cheers to that,

Devi