Quitting a long-standing habit may be difficult. Even when we see the negative consequences of these habits, breaking them can be very difficult. One such habit is the consumption—or overconsumption—of alcohol.
This article will examine ways to break the drinking habit to live a long and healthy life.
Understand your Urges
Acknowledge that the impulse to drink is only a collection of thoughts, physical sensations, and emotions and NOT a command that has to be carried out immediately.
Although not following through on the desire may make you feel uneasy, it cannot hurt your health. How we react to temptation is usually where the true damage occurs. We go farther away from our aim of abstaining when we try to make a desire go away by simply giving in to it.
Recognise when the desire to drink strikes. Simply recognise the impulse as it manifests rather than labelling it as “bad”. Allow space for it to exist. Although reducing discomfort isn’t the main objective here, you’ll probably discover that it does help you tackle your urge better.
Quitting can sometimes have adverse effects on your body. To make the transition smooth, various platforms can help you make online doctor appointments and provide online prescriptions to help ease the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal.
Take Note of the Desires’ Escalation and Abatement
Imagine yourself as an observant scientist watching events develop in your brain. Now, take note that you experienced a powerful yearning without it pulling you around. Remember that throughout this month, your behaviour can be influenced by your cherished objectives rather than your unwanted cravings!
When do you most feel the desire to drink? What do you do when the desire strikes? What helps get rid of the desire? Knowing the answer to these questions can help you make the next day easier.
Take Committed Actions
Intentionally reaffirm your commitment to your values-based behaviour of refraining throughout the month.
Eliminating the people and places you identify with drinking is one example of a committed action. Without judgment, you may explain why you might not stay for drinks to your work buddy.
Avoid going to nightclubs and bars until you’re more certain you won’t indulge. When interacting with folks consuming alcohol, choose a particularly tasty non-alcoholic alternative drink. This will also help you avoid the unwanted questions about why you aren’t drinking
If things look particularly bad, you can always make an online doctor’s appointment to make your journey easier.
Link The Challenge To Your Beliefs
Every day, remind yourself of the connections between abstinence and the person you desire to become: someone who prioritises their health, is clear-minded at all times and does not require the crutch of alcohol to cope with life’s many stressors.
When we initially break a regular behaviour, urges often surface, particularly given how incredibly amazing a drink may feel following a terrible day. Interestingly, handling the fact that people are just not programmed to reject enjoyable stimuli is more important than possessing enormous willpower reserves to suppress these inclinations.
Try following these mindfulness techniques to keep on track instead of attempting to shut out a need for alcohol.
Risks to Long-Term Health
Chronic illnesses and other major issues, such as the following, may develop over time due to heavy alcohol usage.
● Digestion issues.
● Liver illness.
● High blood pressure.
● Heart disease.
● Stroke.
● Cancer (rectum, liver, colon, mouth, throat, oesophagus, and breast).
● Immune system deterioration which increases the likelihood of becoming ill.
● Issues with memory and learning, including dementia and low academic achievement.
● Mental health issues, such as anxiety and sadness.
● Social issues include those involving the family, the workplace, and unemployment.
● Alcohol dependency or alcohol use disorders.
Advantages of Abstaining from Alcohol
First and foremost, avoiding a dreadful hangover. Need we say more?
– Improved sleep
Alcohol may make it easier to fall asleep fast, but you will miss roughly 5–6 REM cycles. Because it promotes memory retention and learning, REM sleep is crucial for brain functioning. You’ll be able to get up feeling revitalised and more alert, thanks to abstaining from drinking alcohol.
– Better Mood And Mental Health
Although drinking might be enjoyable at the moment, and we may think it improves our mood, alcohol is depressive and can harm our general mental health. After your night out, you experience terrible hangover anxiety and your Sunday is ruined since you’ve gotten hungover and feel like doing nothing. With alcohol out of your life, your mood will improve, and so will your anxiety.
– Better Financial Condition
We cannot argue against the fact that drinking is costly, particularly when buying cocktails. Maybe make saving a priority for the month of July and observe how much simpler saving will be when you stop drinking.
– Better Physical Health
Since the soft drinks added to many alcoholic drinks also include calories, cutting them out would naturally result in fewer calories, resulting in a calorie deficit that would help weight reduction.
Although this is just an overview of how you can embark on your journey to go alcohol-free, it requires a lot of perseverance and might even need help from doctors. For this reason, there are various platforms for online doctor appointments and online prescriptions to help you on your journey to reduce your alcohol dependency.
