Emma MacDonald has been sober for 434 days.
There was no dramatic lead-up to her giving up alcohol — it just felt like the right thing to do for her.
In post-lockdown Canberra, MacDonald says she felt "soaked in wine and cocktails", which had acted as her "creative outlet" during the height of the pandemic.
"I thought, well, I'll just have a few days off and, after about three days of not drinking at all, I felt so much better," she says.
"I can only describe it as feeling clarity: I was sleeping better and my head was clear.
"I felt maybe I was a little bit depressed and that all sort of dissipated as well.
"I suddenly felt just better in myself after I stopped [drinking], so I thought I would just keep going."
An editor at a lifestyle publication, MacDonald often attends launches of new restaurants or bars, and other boozy events.
Alcohol surrounds her, but MacDonald has switched cocktails for mocktails and French champagne for non-alcoholic sparkling.
And she says can't believe how good it makes her feel as she reflects on the holiday season.
"Ninety-nine per cent of the time — at dinner parties and the dinners and the lunches and the celebrations and the birthdays and Christmases — I really haven't felt any different to anyone who's drinking, but I do feel different the next day when I wake up fresh as a daisy."
"I've been able to partake in the ritual of having a drink with food with friends, so it really has been surprisingly easy."
There have been some naysayers at events where others are drinking and she isn't.
"I often find that the commentary is actually quite tricky to negotiate, and I have had the odd person, you know, just question what I'm doing," she says.
"People feel a bit uncomfortable if you're not drinking … often heavy drinkers or people who are looking forward to drinking a lot may feel a little bit conflicted if you're not part of that.
"I think it was only in jest but someone did say to me, 'Oh, you're no fun if you're not drinking,' and I just laughed it off but the thing is, I do feel fun without drinking."
No more groggy mornings after
So how is MacDonald planning to spend her sober New Year's Eve?
"We're having friends around for dinner, and I will cook a big feast and there will be lots of proper Pommery [champagne] flowing," she says.
"But I will have a non-alcoholic drink — I know the brands that I like.
"I won't feel disconnected from my emotions, my brain, or my sense of where I am, and that is such a precious thing to me."
She says there are many alternatives to drinking in social situations.
"I know that it is a lot easier to walk up to a group of people and have a conversation when you have a drink in your hand — just make yours the non-alcoholic version," MacDonald says.
"The fact is we live in an alcohol-loving society, there's a lot of ritualistic drinking and New Year's Eve is traditionally a night where people absolutely write themselves off.
She recommends having a non-alcoholic drink in hand as a good way of defusing any questions.
"Just say, 'No, I'm not up for drinking tonight,' if you have to, and you can still have a great night and enjoy the party atmosphere," she says.
"Then give yourself a pat on the back the next morning when you wake up feeling good, and it's all worth it."
Changing our relationship with booze
Another Australian planning to ring in the new year without alcohol is Andy Moore, the chief executive of not-for-profit organisation Hello Sunday Morning.
Today marks exactly one year since his last drink.
Mr Moore began to ditch grog in 2007 and decided, on New Year's Eve last year, to go sober.
He believes sobriety gives him an important insight to his work at Hello Sunday Morning, which supports people struggling with their alcohol intake — avoiding a Sunday morning hangover is, of course, all in the name.
Mr Moore also manages the smartphone app Daybreak, which sets out to "reset your drinking habits with powerful support".
"We're very non-judgemental, it doesn't matter what stage of the journey you're at, doesn't matter who you are, where you are, we don't judge anybody," he says.
"What we're here to do is try to help you get to the point where you feel that you're in control of your drinking."
Mr Moore says for people concerned about how much they drink, the national health guidelines are a good place to start.
"Ten standard units per week and four standard units in one sitting are your basic guidelines to help you understand whether you're drinking at risky levels, because anything above that … you are putting yourself at risk physically."
He says people need to question how much alcohol is dominating their life — not just the amount of alcohol they drink but how much they think about it.
"Is it really having an impact on your life? it's about having an honest conversation with yourself."
Tips for a sober celebration
Like MacDonald, Mr Moore has some tips on how to get through a new year's event sober.
"First of all is accepting that that's what you're going to do and think, about it and plan ahead," he says.
He recommends letting friends, family or the venue know beforehand that you won't be drinking.
"Set the expectations before you get there, because the problem is there's so much peer pressure and it's very, very difficult to manage [that]," he says.
"If people are pressing you for this reason, or debating the values of not drinking or whatever, it's not really your issue — if it makes them feel uncomfortable about their own drinking, it's your decision.
"Just to feel free to set your boundaries around that, and not worry about how other people are feeling about it and how they're feeling uncomfortable about it."
Mr Moore suggests finding camaraderie with someone else who plans to have a dry night, or at least someone who can provide support if needed.
"Try to find your buddy, somebody that you know is empathetic, and somebody that you can stick by, who won't put you under pressure as well."
He says reach for non-alcoholic replacements or alternatives, and commit to your decision.
"When you get put on the spot, and people are saying 'what are you going to drink', you've got an answer straightaway, you don't have to think it through."
His last tip is to plan something to do hangover-free on Sunday morning.
"Think about the day after, give yourself something to look forward to for actually getting through the night," he says.
"Whether it's going for a morning walk or going out for coffee — whatever it is, pat yourself on the back and give yourself a reward the next day because you'll be hangover-free and you've got through it.
"You can settle into that moment thinking that people are still in bed and really struggling, and you're out and it's a beautiful day and you're enjoying it."
MacDonald says she is looking forward to her second full year of not drinking.
"I don't want to be what I was, which was really feeling at five o'clock that urge to pick up a glass of wine and have that first drink to just feel relaxed — I don't do that anymore," she says.
"I have a cup of tea, go for a walk, go for a swim or I just sit down and have a moment to myself, and my head and heart thank me the next day when I wake up feeling refreshed, happy and clear-headed."
