How to Maintain a Healthy Relationship with Alcohol
Alcohol is insidious and our consumption can creep up over the years. What starts out as the odd drink when socializing can evolve into a daily ritual of a glass or two of wine.
Those glasses of wine can easily add up to more than the recommended low risk limits which are just a bottle and a half of wine a week. Drinking more than that can put our physical and mental health at risk.
For some of us the relationship with alcohol begins as a fun flirtation in our 20s, a parenting aid in our 30s and 40s and eventually, can become a coping mechanism for stress and loneliness in our 50s and 60s.
As we hit our 60s there are many health reasons for ditching the booze completely.
Even if you are confident that you are drinking within the recommended limits then do make sure that you are taking regular breaks. Not only will an alcohol-free month benefit your health but it’s a great way to monitor your dependence on alcohol.
If getting through your alcohol-free month is a breeze then that confirms you have a healthy relationship with alcohol.
How I Tried (And Failed) to Take Breaks from Alcohol
Did you know that 20% of social drinkers will become dependent over the years? I was one of those 20% and eventually, had to quit completely.
When I was a drinker, I would often resolve to have a month off alcohol.
I knew it was a toxin and that just a month off alcohol would have significant health benefits. More importantly, it would confirm that I was not becoming dependent.
So, every time a new month came around I would be full of determination to make this month an alcohol-free one.
I would be full of determination but come 5pm I would start to feel anxious at the thought of a long alcohol-free evening ahead. If something good (or bad) had happened during the day, then even more reason to have a drink to celebrate (or commiserate).
After a few days of trying and failing, I would invariably decide that the alcohol-free month could wait until the following month when I would be feeling stronger.
In my case, it was already too late and my dependence on alcohol finally got to the point where I had to quit. If I’d got into the habit of taking regular breaks when I was younger, I may not have got to that stage.
One of the (many) mistakes I was making was trying to do this alone and also thinking it would be easy. Surely, it was just a matter of not opening up the wine at 6pm every evening?
If you are a regular drinker, taking regular breaks is a way to ensure that you don’t develop a drinking problem like I did.
Here are some tips to get your through:
10 Tips to Get You Through an Alcohol-Free Month
Shake Up Your Routine
Use your alcohol-free month as an opportunity to shake things up a bit. If you stick to your usual routine (without the alcohol), you will feel something is missing. Far better to use this time to take up a new hobby or start attending a new class. Don’t just sit around the house doing nothing as you’re far more likely to be hit with a craving for a glass of wine!
Track Your Progress
You can create a monthly tracker of your own or you can email janet@tribesober.com and I’ll send you one of ours. At the end of each alcohol-free day, colour in your square; even better – colour it in when you wake up and set your intention for the day. Enjoy a sense of achievement as you watch those AF days building up as you progress through the month.
Stock Up on Alcohol-Free Drinks
There has been an explosion in the alcohol-free drinks market over the last few years. Use this opportunity to be sober curious and explore what’s available. Transfer your “wine-tasting” skills to the alcohol-free versions. Drygoodsdrinks.com have a fantastic selection so order a few choices and find your favourites.
Remove Alcohol from the House
You’ll need plenty of space in your fridge to store your alcohol-free drinks, so now is the time to remove any alcoholic drinks that might tempt you. Move them into the garage perhaps – just somewhere you don’t have to look at them on a daily basis. Make it easy on yourself by removing temptation!
Play the Movie Forward
If you are hit by a craving for a glass of wine, just play the movie forward. Is it really going to be the one glass or will it lead to another? Imagine how you will feel the next morning when you wake up feeling disappointed in yourself and have to record your slip-up on your tracker.
Journal
If you haven’t yet discovered the many benefits of journaling, then use this month as an opportunity to try it out. Buy a lovely notebook and keep a daily record of how your alcohol-free month is going. Is it easy? What benefits are you experiencing? If it’s proving to be a bit tricky, then what are you struggling with?
Exercise
If you don’t yet have a daily exercise routine in place, this could be the month you get started. The benefits of exercise for our mental and physical health are well documented. Make this the month you try out yoga or meditation. A brisk one-hour walk will trigger your happy brain chemicals and lift your spirits.
Listen to a Podcast Every Day
Podcasts are free and they are brilliant for multi-tasking. If you’d like a bit of moral support for your alcohol-free month, then listen to the Tribe Sober podcast while doing your daily walk. It’s full of expert advice and inspirational stories. More than 200 episodes are available on Apple and Spotify.
You Do You!
It’s so easy to get caught up in a whirlwind of people pleasing. Try to be a bit selfish during your alcohol-free month. Think carefully before accepting any social invitations which involve alcohol. Learn how to say “no” when you need some time for yourself. Slow down a bit and discover the joy of “me” time.
Join a Community
If you’ve tried before and struggled to achieve an alcohol-free month, you will find it so much easier if you join a sobriety group. You can sign up to Tribe Sober for a month and connect with other people who will understand and support you. You’ll meet people who are embracing an alcohol-free lifestyle, and you may even decide to join them!
Make It a Time for Personal Growth
To get the most out of your alcohol-free month, you need to get your mindset right. Rather than see it as a month of deprivation, reframe it as an opportunity for personal growth, self-discovery and improved well-being. Use your break from alcohol to educate yourself about the (many) benefits of an alcohol-free lifestyle by signing up for Tribe Sober’s Sobriety Bootcamp.
Four times a year we run our 5-day Sobriety Bootcamps, and many people have used them to kickstart an alcohol-free lifestyle.
We’ve just launched an “on-demand” version so you can sign up today and start tomorrow!
Learn all about mindset, moderation and motivation with the Tribe Sober Team.
Let’s Have a Conversation:
How many years have you been drinking? Do you drink consistently – a glass or two of wine most evenings? Have you ever tried to take a break to test your dependence? Have you noticed an impact on your looks after taking a break? Did you lose weight? Do you ever worry about your drinking? Do you feel happy in your retirement?
Tags Healthy Aging
This article has hit home for me! I was never a drinker. Barely drank at all past my “party years” of early 20’s. Raised my kids (ate way too many fast food meals though) without it. Then, in my mid 40’s (I had kids early), I started to drink wines. I had a bit more money and could learn the different varietals and started to drink wine. By the time I was in my mid 50’s I had at least 3-4 bottles of wine in my kitchen at one time and my husband was buying cases at Safeway to save money (he doesn’t drink at all). A glass every night with dinner. Then it became a glass while cooking, a glass with dinner, and then a glass after dinner watching TV. About 10 years went by and I couldn’t understand why I was so tired during the day. I went to the doctor several times and all my tests came back completely normal. In fact, I looked super healthy on paper, but still felt groggy. I was falling asleep in front of the TV after work, and on weekends, around 3pm. What could possibly be wrong with me? Well, I decided to stop alcohol. It is NOT easy, and I’ve done it alone. I’m 6 months sober and counting! No more falling asleep in the middle of the day. No more groggy feeling. I’ve lost 15 pounds. It’s all GOOD, but it is not easy. I still feel the urge to have that glass when cooking. I still want that “fancy drink” when on vacation. But, I’ve stuck with it and when I feel like a want that glass, I just remember how groggy I felt and I don’t want to undo all the work I’ve done. I think this will be a lifelong struggle. Alcohol had a hold on me, even if I wasn’t technically physically dependent on it. It was (and is) a psychological dependency. Good luck to everyone that ditches the wine!!
Hi Maureen I loved everything about your comment except for the bit which said “I think this will be a lifelong struggle” – it doesn’t have to be that way if you work on your mindset and start seeing alcohol for the toxin that it really is. Many congrats on your 6 months of sobriety but please consider joining a community of people who are on the same path.. people who understand that you can’t just have “one glass” now you’ve had a break! Take a look at tribe sober membership and connect with others who are thriving in their sobriety, others who will help you change the way you see alcohol and stay on track. Tribe Sober also has a free weekly podcast which is available on Apple & Spotify.
I developed rheumatoid arthritis in my 50s and the prescribed medicine was methotrexate. I hardly ever drank anything prior to that. But I noticed that I wanted to have a drink much more often so I brought it up with the doctor. Does methotrexate make you want to have alcohol? I brought it up with a few relatives who are doctors; I looked it up online. I thought there was something drastically wrong with me because I wanted to drink. But when I talked to other people who have rheumatoid arthritis and take methotrexate, I find they also wish they could drink every evening. I wish the pharmaceutical companies would make that clear on the medicine so that anyone who has a latent alcoholic problem would be aware and could be more careful. My views were confirmed this year. The doctor said you don’t need methotrexate anymore. I was surprised when after a week, I noticed I don’t have a yearning to drink.