Stop Drinking

The first step is obvious, don’t drink. Find something else to put in your glass. Treat yourself. I like the fancy San Pellegrino seltzer. Add a dash of tart cherry or lime juice. This will hydrate you and fill you up, making the idea of a drink less appealing.

Remove alcohol from your home

I have found that removing alcohol from your house is very helpful. Too often I would justify a (good day, bad day, rainy day) reason to drink if there was something cold and readily available. Even a really gross cider that sat in my garage fridge (despite it’s relatively high APV, more on that later) became palatable if I mixed it with something else. Add wine and viola! Sangria.

Truly disgusting.

Disrupt your routine

Go for a walk as soon as you get home. Better yet, don’t go straight home after work, find an alternative. Humans are creatures of habit. Drinking alcohol has become a habit. Habits follow routines, break one and break the other. Excercise!

Find a podcast to motivate you

I am partial to the Bubble Hour, especially the years hosted by Jean. There is something so soothing yet stern in her voice. She is strong and living her best life. You can too. There are a lot of sober podcasts out there, find something that motivates and resonates with you.

Be accountable

There are many Facebook groups and online groups that focus on a cooperative approach to sobriety. I found that helping someone in an earlier stage or in a pre-stage of quitting motivated me to stay the course. On the flip side, I found that too many people relapsing and talking constantly about drinking actually weakened my resolve after a few months. It can be disheartening to see the same people make the same mistakes and it is easy to justify your own “slips.”

Use a calculator

As simple creatures craving rewards for behavior, somthing as simple as setting a streak can provide a mood boost and some dopamine. There are many free tracking aps available for your phone. I prefer a simple ap with a strong visual showing your continuity of your “chain.”

Read

I find this one a little tricky. The “quit lit” was useful to me during the years I needed to identify my drinking issues. When I actually became sober, I found the repetative romanticizing and the constant reminders of drinking to be distracting.

Analyze

This is the tough one, one you might not be able to deal with yet. We all know that this drinking is a result of something else. The “why” of our drinking is messy and hard and the reason we have avoided dealing with our issues. Journaling, therapy and talking to loved ones will help you make sense of the journey.

Be nice to yourself

Go to bed early, eat healthy meals, get plenty of exercise and sleep. Treat yourself the way you would treat and ailing loved one. Self care doesn’t have to be about bubble baths and facials (but it can if that’s your thing!), it can be simple kindness. I bought fancier coffee than the Costco vat I usually consume and imported seltzer (ooh la la.) Simple but it made me feel special and cared for.

It’s never too late to be a better person.