Alcohol is pretty decidedly bad for you.
Now, there is an argument to be made that one or two drinks per day won’t necessarily cause you massive health problems.
However, it’s also true (and the science is pretty clear on the fact) that a life lived without the consumption of alcohol is pretty much a ‘healthier’ life overall.
Some of the more immediate benefits of quitting drinking will be a reduction in calorie intake—most likely a reduction in inflammation, and an overall slightly better quality of life.
Drinking does, after all, take its toll on you.
Rather than making you feel refreshed, it’ll tend to make you feel a little bit slower and sluggish.
Plus, hangovers are certainly no joke, right?
So in this post, you’re going to learn 4 tips for how to kick your drinking habit today—to help you experience better overall health and wellness.
These tips probably aren’t going to help you much if you’re legitimately addicted to alcohol.
But if you’re just a casual drinker who’s thinking about kicking the habit to gain some of the positive health benefits of abstaining from it, then these tips may actually help you.
1. Keep An Alcohol-Free Day Calendar
One way to stick with the habit of avoiding alcohol is to hang up a calendar designated as your ‘non-drinking calendar,’ and to check a box on every day that you go without drinking.
Try to get yourself to that 30-day mark to create a new non-drinking habit.
2. Avoid Social Functions That Take Place At Bars
Drinking is really built into the social fabric of the Western world.
A lot of people socialize at bars and clubs where drinking is commonplace. But drinking can also be super common at private parties, gatherings, barbecues, etc.
Therefore, avoiding these types of social engagements can actually really help you to abstain from drinking as well.
At first, it might be tough. But if you really want to quit, it’ll be worth it in the long run (or at least until you’ve gotten out of the ‘habit’ of drinking).
3. Team Up With A Friend
Odds are good that you probably have a friend who shares your desire to quit drinking.
Therefore, teaming up together to be accountability partners could be a great way to kick alcoholism to the curb and embark on a new chapter of sobriety.
4. Write Down Your Goal
If you really want to quit drinking, and are finding the task particularly difficult, you may want to start writing down your goal of being alcohol-free every single day—as a first step to take before you begin the day’s activities.
As soon as you get out of bed, sit down somewhere quiet and write down your goal—either in a journal, in a planner, or even in a notebook or on a blank piece of paper.
This can get your mindset straight to the task of not engaging in that activity that day; and thus, can help to mentally prepare you for the day and give you the strength to overcome the temptation to drink.