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Drinking: When the new year officially started in January, many individuals made a series of new resolutions.
Common resolutions are to eat better, exercise more, and give up vices at the start of the year.
One of the most popular resolutions made at the beginning of the year is to cut back on drinking, but it is also one of the most difficult to follow.
Dr. Sanam Hafeez, a neuropsychologist from Teachers College, Columbia University, presented suggestions for the issue.
“For some people saying, ‘I’m not going to drink this entire month,’ might be really hard,” said Hafeez.
“So trying to do so may show you how easy or difficult it is for you.”
Here we take a look at ways that you can turn down drinking.
Goal clarity
Dr. Sarah Wakeman, medical director of the Massachusetts General Hospital Substance Use Disorders Initiative, claims that clarifying your goal will help you develop the habit.
“The research we have on goal setting says goals are more likely to be achieved if they’re really relevant to you as an individual and not an abstract, like, ‘I should stop drinking because drinking is bad,'” said Wakeman.
She noted that setting up realistic goals like developing new sleeping patterns or an exercise routine can make quitting drinking easier.
“I really want to stop drinking because I know when I drink heavily, I don’t get up the next morning and I don’t work out is a very specific goal,” continued Wakeman.
According to experts, the gains in your health that result from reducing or eliminating alcohol may provide more motivation.
“Drinking less over time can have really measurable benefits in your health in terms of your blood pressure, your risk of cancer, your risk of liver disease and other conditions,” added Wakeman.
“Over the course of a month, you may notice some short-term benefits like better sleep, a better complexion due to improvements in your skin, feeling more clear-headed and having more energy.”
SMART goals
One method for quitting drinking is to create SMART goals.
The acronym goes:
- Specific: Establish realistic goals and stop the behavior
- Measurable: Keep track of the amount of drinking you plan to reduce
- Achievable: Check to see that there aren’t too many gatherings where alcohol consumption is expected
- Relevant: Examine how quitting can improve your life and health.
- Time-based: Set completion dates for your efforts
“If you set a bar too high, you may fail,” said Hafeez. “So it’s better to set smaller goals to achieve it.”
“Nothing starts without an honest conversation with yourself.”
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Share the goal
Experts claim that telling your loved ones about your goal can help you achieve it.
Some people find that posting on social media encourages others to join them.
“That’s where I think ‘dry January’ has kind of caught on,” said Wakeman.
“If you publicly state you’re going to do something, you’re more likely to stick with it than if you keep it to yourself.”
Substitutes
Alcohol consumption at social gatherings may increase as you become older.
However, experts claim that there are substitute drinks that are equally delectable and festive that may be utilized to replace the urge to drink.
“For some people, it can be sparkling water, and for other people, it’s actually having a mocktail or some sort of (nonalcoholic) drink that feels fun and celebratory,” said Wakeman.
“Substituting one behavior for another can work because you’re tricking your brain,” Hafeez chimed in.
“That can absolutely help you avoid temptation.”
There is now a market for non-alcoholic drinks that taste nearly identical to alcohol.
Some contend that the additional ingredients are more calming and healthy.
“I’m skeptical of anything that claims to relax you or have amazing health benefits that comes in a glass regardless of what it is,” Wakeman added.
“But if it’s an alternative that allows you to feel like you’re not missing out on a social situation and helps you make the changes that you want to your alcohol consumption, I don’t think there’s any downside to that.”
Progress tracking
According to Sarah Wakeman, keeping track of your emotions and urges may help you find triggers even if you don’t entirely cut off alcohol.
“Even just measuring your behavior, whether it’s alcohol or exercise or your diet, can be an intervention in and of itself,” she explained.
“Even if someone’s not yet ready to make changes, just keeping a diary of when you’re drinking, what situations you’re drinking more and how you’re feeling at those times, can really help you identify sort of trigger situations where you may be more likely to drink.”
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Monitor symptoms
According to experts, the urge to abruptly stop drinking may cause negative symptoms, which may suggest the need for professional help.
“The first thing to be mindful of is whether or not you actually have an alcohol use disorder,” suggested Wakeman.
“If someone’s been drinking very heavily every single day and is at risk for withdrawal symptoms, then it can actually be dangerous to stop abruptly.”
“That would be a real indication that you need to talk to a medical professional about getting medical treatment for withdrawal and not stopping on your own.”
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