Lifting Your Spirits: How To Stop Drinking Alcohol
There's something to be said for a glass of wine after a long day. And a drink or two is good for unwinding with friends at the end of the night. However, as many people soon find out, there's also something to be said for sobriety.
If you're looking to stop drinking alcohol and are not sure how, this post will provide some helpful tips that can lead you in the right direction.
But first, take a moment to remember why you want to stop drinking in the first place.
It's good to have an end goal in mind when beginning a new program. It helps focus your thoughts, which in turn gives you a greater ability to see things through to the end.
So, why do you want to quit drinking? Is it:
Because you're looking for more money in your wallet? Because you get sick when you drink? Because alcohol is bad for your health? Because it causes too much family conflict at home? Or is it something else entirely.
Take a moment to think about why you're stopping.
Why do you want to stop drinking alcohol?
Write down your answer. Be honest and specific.
Now that you've written down your answer, here are a few tips to follow:
Surround yourself with positive influences. You don't need to be extreme about it. But it is important to eliminate as many negative influences from your life as possible. This could include people who drink a lot, or who think drinking is the only way to relax and unwind after a long day at work. It could also include bars and clubs where you used to spend a lot of time drinking.
Just because you've stopped drinking doesn't mean that you should stop living. Your life is more than drinking and should not be reduced to consisting of nothing more than it. Live your life in a healthy way without alcohol.
Take steps to get your body back into shape first. You are now going to add good eating habits, regular exercise and healthy supplements into your daily routine. This will help detox your body of all the bad things alcohol has been doing to it.
Stay away from negative influences as much as possible. If you know that a certain person is going to provide a bad influence on your life, then don't make them part of it. Soon enough, you'll be feeling better about yourself and won't really care about what people say about your lifestyle choices.
Make an effort to get some exercise daily. This can be as simple as walking around the block or as intense as going for a run.
Don't beat yourself up if you slip up and drink a little bit of alcohol (unless this is going to be a daily thing). Just get back on track next day. The key is to always be aware when you're doing something wrong - whether that's drinking or not drinking.
Start using natural products like detox pads and tea bags that are used to help rid the body of toxins such as alcohol.
Keep a journal of what you drink and when. If you're going out to the bar, note down how many drinks you had and how much money you spent. It's much easier to keep track of things like this, than it is over a period of time in your own head.
Choose healthier foods for yourself and only drink water or tea when you are feeling thirsty. You do not want to regulate your drinking by cutting out everything that contains alcohol as this will cause withdrawal symptoms.
Remember to ask yourself what you are really craving when you're feeling the urge to drink. Is it the pleasure of feeling good, or is it something else? Once you've identified what your need is, then you can find a way to fill it without alcohol.
Write down your goals and the things that are important to you and ask them daily how they are doing.
If there are signs that you're starting to slip back into old habits, then make it your new habit to write down what happened, what you did about it and how things turned out.
Keep trying new things which keep you focused on a healthy lifestyle for the long term. You will find that eventually your health will improve and the cravings for alcohol will be less noticeable. Consider a healthier lifestyle as your new standard of living and don't settle for anything less than this.
Conclusion: You've made it through a lot of this post. It's been a long journey to reach this point, but you deserve it. Although your life may seem different now than it did when you were drinking, it is important to stay on track with your new habits.
And remember that you don't need to be extreme in changing your lifestyle. A little bit of change here and there will do more good than any written program or support group ever could.