Beyond Booze: How to create a life you love alcohol-free

by Sarah Rusbatch

The goal isn't to be sober. The goal is to love yourself so much you don't need to drink.

For decades we have been sold the idea that alcohol is our 'reward' at the end of a busy day. Not only do we use it to celebrate and commiserate, but we rely on it to relieve the stress and exhaustion of the daily grind – to help us switch off, switch on, numb emotions, enhance emotions and everything in between. We use it for self-care, for socialising, for time for ourselves.

We are drinking more than ever, and it affects our physical and mental wellbeing in ways we don't even realise. Even low alcohol consumption negatively impacts our sleep, anxiety levels, weight and skin, not to mention our mood and mindset. If you're sick and tired of feeling 5 out of 10 most days and can't remember when you last felt energised, optimistic or motivated, know that you're not alone.

Creating a life without alcohol can feel too hard and more than a little scary. In a culture so captivated with booze, in a society that sells alcohol to us everywhere we turn, can we really remove it altogether and still be happy? The answer is absolutely YES, and this book will show you how.

Packed full of guidance, support and practical tools, Beyond Booze will help you create a life you love so much that you no longer need to drink. It's not so much about how to take alcohol out, but rather what to add in to create a more fulfilling, purposeful and contented life. It's about finding your way back to feeling 10 out of 10, and falling in love with life – and yourself – without booze.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Health

272 pages, Paperback

Published February 13, 2024

Reviews

[Erin Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want every woman I know to read this book. If you think it’s not for you I beg to differ. There is something in this for every woman even if you don’t consider yourself to have a bad relationship with alcohol. Sarah has beautifully woven her personal story, stories from other women and well respected evidence from a huge variety of scientific and medical sources. This book isn’t the stock standard I quit drinking book. This is how and why we need to get to the deep stuff and build a life that where we don’t even want or need to escape from with alcohol or substances. This book will completely flip your perspective of the widely accepted and only addictive substance you have to explain why you aren’t ingesting anymore- alcohol! This is a great practical resource for any woman and I highly recommend reading it- might just save you and open a new way of life you never even thought possible.

[Kylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous book that looks at life when alcohol isn’t there. An honest and compassionate account! Highly recommend.

[Lisa Rouse]

If you have managed to remove alcohol from your life, or if you are considering doing this, but you're worried about what life will be like if you make this change, then this is the book for you. When you have reached a place in your life where you find yourself thinking "Is this as good as it gets"?, then you will find all the tools to take a deep dive into your own life, into your own happiness, into the solutions you need in order to live your life in a way that your 80 year old self will be proud of. Sarah shares her own struggles with alcohol, how it was once so much fun until it wasn't. She also shares many success stories of incredible women that she has shared the tools with, and paved the way for them to be living the life they always hoped they'd be living, alcohol free. You will learn how to know what your values are so that you can start to create a life in-tune with those values, setting you up for freedom from alcohol and freedom to start living. Unlike a lot of 'Quit Lit' on the market, this book focuses more on how to live your best life after you remove the poison that is alcohol. There are tips at the beginning of the book to help you out if you have not yet changed your relationship with alcohol.

[Valla]

Primi tre capitoli che mi fanno capire la media altissima su Goodreads, interessanti, informativi, sulla cruda verità degli effetti dell'alcool sulle donne, e sui "grey area drinkers".
Dopo questi spiega COME smettere di bere e non solo perché. E il come è sostanzialmente diviso in due parti: come cambiare le relazioni che giravano intorno all'alcool (punto cardine della sobrietà ma sviluppato molto superficialmente) e come cambiare noi, cioè cosa aggiungere alla nostra vita per non avere più la necessità di alcool.
E là mi incazzo perché si finisce a ripetere la solita manfrina di mindfulness, yoga e gratitude journal. Ma la colpa è mia che mi piace leggere i libri di self help anche se mi fanno incazzare. Quindi ho deciso che leggerò un po' di libri contro la cultura del wellbeing o del wellness che ha rotto i coglioni e devono morire tutti.
And so...alla fine, grazie Sarah?

[Hadley Sorensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah brings an important voice to the alcohol-free/sobriety space. This book is a must-read for any woman, especially in her middle-aged era, who is beginning to suspect that alcohol is no longer serving her. It confirms that alcohol isn't doing us any favors, and she uses a fantastic blend of science, stories, and practical tips and advice to help us envision and build a life without booze. There are so many of us who have been stuck in the grey area drinking space for years, and this book is a much-needed resource to help us escape the cycle!!

[Yvette Boulos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a game changer for anyone who is thinking about changing their relationship with alcohol but doesn’t know whether or not to, how or even why to. With practical steps, incredible information about just how alcohol affects us and stories about the changes that have been made when you decide you are worth more than drinking, it is a must read for all. So easy to read, so well written, Sarah really makes you challenge your reasons for having alcohol. So glad I have read this book.

[Caroline Croezen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this one! After a couple of heavy nights on the booze myself and my husband decided to do dry January. I love reading books like this during a dry month because they are so motivating! This book has people's experiences, tips and also it's about ensuring you replace alcohol with something else that you enjoy and will bring fun to your life which is really important to help keep you on the wagon. A very enjoyable read!

[Naomi Palombaro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book

I loved this book. Thoroughly recommend no matter where you are on the drinking spectrum. Very practical full of actions and activities to guide you along the AF journey. We'll done Sarah.

[Makayla LeDoux · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had WAY more to offer than I initially thought. Less about alcohol (although it obviously touches on the topic), and more about how to create a meaningful life full of things you enjoy. Made a ton of notes that I will be coming back to and exploring.

[Trocadero Dansant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very practical information and an excellent list of other resources to arm women and more specifically busy mothers with the tools to create or fine tune an alcohol free life

[Annica · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good quit lit book covering many areas of alcohol free life with the perspective of alcohol being an obstacle to living your best life and not something you give up or sacrifice.

[Seana Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

A how-to guide on how and why to stop drinking.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sobering read full of ideas for self reflection and enjoying life without alcohol.

[Philip Mansell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read very informative

[Jessica Chard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical, uplifting and empowering. A great read for anyone questioning their relationship with alcohol and wanting to make sustainable changes.

[Ang · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 🌟

[Rachel Pennington]

Didn’t finish all the way bc it got repetitive but i enjoyed listening!

[sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just amazing page turning and very helpful book on how to see things differently and to change your living habits . Highly recommend

[Mindy Kiehl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book for someone who is sober curious.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5. Nice, digestible, accessible read. A little repetitive at times, but overall some really great tips in a format that is easy to follow and well structured.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would highly recommend reading this book to everyone I know, especially women. The author does an incredible job of sharing her journey & also gives a tremendous amount of resources and background as to how our culture has become so obsessed with alcohol consumption that it is the norm to drink & non drinkers are in the minority.

This was not a fast read for me. There were so many times I stopped reading to write things down & highlight sections, but the flow was easy to follow & well layed out. This is a book for everyone bc it will open your eyes to what is currently happening in our society even if you choose to drink alcohol.