Tips for Staying Sober as a Dancer or Maintaining Sobriety at the Club
Hi, bohemians. Is it too late to say Happy New Year? Well, if you’re like me and attempt dry January every year or want to make a healthy lifestyle choice and go alcohol-free, this post is for you. Sobriety isn’t talked about much in a lifestyle and job where you are paid to have a great time (or at least act like it). I have done both long stints, 6 months to a year, of “No Alcohol” and then a period, specifically “No Alcohol at Work,” because there is a difference. In this post, I’ll discuss that and other helpful and effective ways to maintain sobriety as an exotic dancer.
First, congrats for making it this far; that means you are at least curious about what it might be like to work without any social lubricant, but you can do it. Even if you’re not maintaining complete sobriety, taking a break from drinking alcohol is healthy and sometimes necessary. If that’s the case and you still need to go to work, how do you do that when you usually drink?
Now, let’s talk about the health benefits of quitting drinking, especially at work. I’ll be talking about complete sobriety and then sober at work and how to manage both. You can pick which is right for you, but BOTH will help you tremendously. The club is engineered around alcohol sales. Clients will always buy you drinks or a bottle. At first, it might seem harder without a drink, but it does get easier over time. I’ll also share ways to make it appear like you are drinking, but you’re not.
Complete Sobriety
There are so many benefits to going completely sober. I won’t list them here, but it’s a wise decision whether temporarily or permanently (or somewhere in between). For this section, it’s going to mean No Alcohol 24/7. The difference is that while some might want to control their drinking at work only, this would be to abstain completely.
The first step for me was to find out what kind of incentive and drink programs the club had. I might do this 2-3 shifts before I go sober. And try out different ones to see which I liked the best, etc. Some clubs also have fake champagne. It’s like low-alcohol wine. Now, clubs also have White Claw Zero and other alcohol-free beer and seltzer water. It has never been easier to go alcohol-free at the club. When I was a baby stripper, they only had O’Douls (it’s not worth a Google).
Almost every club I worked at had dancer drinks, which was a huge win. They are high in sugar, so don’t go crazy, but they look/taste just like a regular cocktail. The other benefit is that some clubs will pay you at night's end for selling these drinks. The reason is (men look away) they are still paying for what they think is a real drink with alcohol. So, they are paying a higher price, assuming the drink contains booze. That’s where the club makes extra money, and so do you. The patron has no idea (or maybe they do and don’t care), and you stay sober. However, disclaimer: it’s easier to ask the waitress to give you only Sprite or cranberry or soda water without vodka even though you might order it with it. I’ve never had a client look at my drink to make sure it had alcohol or smell my breath, lol.
It gets trickier for bottle service, but I have dumped out more Cristal than anyone I know. So, here’s how to do it. First, during the “toast,” don’t drink it. Toast and then set it down on the table and start messing with your shoe or something else distracting like boobs. If you feel pressured, kiss it, but don’t drink any. Then there are three ways to get rid of it:
1. Ice Bucket: This isn’t the easiest, but it can be done, especially with hard liquor. Just pretend you poured too much of a shot and poured it back into the ice, then switch drinks or fill a different one. Remember the tainted ice bucket.
2. Plant or Floor: If your VIP room has a fake plant, that is perfect. I’ve been giving a dance, had a glass in my hand, and poured it right over the guy’s shoulder. He had no idea because it was so loud in there. Under the table works, too; you can either pretend to spill it by bumping the table or dropping it slowly.
3. Bathroom Sink: Take your drink with you every time you go to the bathroom and come back with it empty, duh. You can even give it away in the bathroom or dressing room, which I did a bunch of, too.
The money part is crucial, too. One of the biggest benefits of staying sober is that you keep more of what you make. Start tracking your income when you're sober versus when you're not. The numbers don't lie. I found I made about 30% more on average during my sober shifts. I also had better math skills, a clearer head, and more energy to hustle. Another huge bonus is that you have zero annoying hangover the next day and more time to focus on your goals outside of the club.
The hardest part is getting home from work and having energy or feelings that might have been numbed by alcohol before. See below for tips on self-care for working in this industry without drinking.
Sobriety At Work
Most customers don't care what's in your glass – they care about the connection. They want to feel like they're partying with you, and you can give them that experience without touching a drop of alcohol. So, if you wish to stop at work but drink socially, that is doable as well. Maintain a balance outside of the club for alcohol consumption because it can easily be a crutch to deal with the stress at work.
The trickiest part about this is NOT to let alcohol get out of control to COPE with work. I have always said if you can’t do this job sober, then this job is not for you. Period. But I would sometimes be sober at work (especially during day shifts) and then go home at night or evening and have a glass of wine with dinner or something. And I wouldn’t go out and drink in excess, either. It was easier than I thought to stop drinking at work, but it does make it seem harder on those slow nights.
Remember Your Why
Mine was simple: I wanted to build a future beyond the club, and I couldn't do that if I was hungover five days a week. Maybe your reason is family, health, or personal growth. Whatever it is, please write it down. Look at it before every shift. Remember it when that regular offers to buy you a shot.
Build your sober support system inside and outside the club. Find other sober workers (we're everywhere, I promise) and stick together. Having a sobriety app on my phone also really helped keep me accountable.
Sobriety in the club can be an isolating experience. When everyone else is partying, you might feel missing out. But flip that script. You're not missing out – you're opting out. You're choosing clarity over chaos. You're choosing long-term success over short-term escape. As I mentioned above, you should be able to do a shift or two sober for whatever reason; if you must be drunk at work to do the job, it’s not for you.
Self-Care
One of the most complex parts? The emotional toll. Let's be honest: this industry can be intense. You're dealing with drunk people, managing boundaries, and often navigating complicated emotions – both yours and others. Alcohol numbs all that. Without it, you need other coping mechanisms. Therapy, meditation, exercise, creative outlets – find what works for you and make it non-negotiable. Self-care is essential when not drinking because your nervous system might be a little more sensitive, and this industry does not help that.
Develop your rituals. Before each shift in my car, I would have one song on repeat while I drank an energy drink. After work, I wind down with a hot shower and weed. It sounds simple, but these rituals replace the role alcohol used to play in transitioning between "real life" and "work life." Also, don’t go out after work. It’s easier to justify drinking if you had a bad or a good night. It’s easier to go home and count all that money you just made.
Love & glitter,
BW
