Breaking up with alcohol

Have you ever wanted to cut back on drinking alcohol, but you weren’t sure where to start? After binge drinking through the holidays, you think you should participate in “dry January” to detox your brain and liver and give your wallet a break? You are exhausted and overstimulated from the amount of face time with family and friends? The week drags on and you daydream about that drink to “destress” after work? Do you scrutinize every calorie you put in your body, punish yourself for eating carbs and dairy, and don’t think a second thought about having a vodka and diet soda because it’s low calorie? Do most of your adult fun activities revolve around alcohol (wine tasting, happy hour drinks, unlimited mimosas at brunch, that infamous “roadie” you pack to enjoy after a hike, etc)? Are you like me and don’t identify as an alcoholic and see no benefit to support your decision re: attending AA or other patriarchal programs that stress you are powerless to alcohol?

What if I told you that you didn’t have to “white knuckle” your way through taking a break from alcohol? Whether it is a month, a week, or even a day, it is possible for you to cut back from drinking and feel… neutral. No positive thoughts. No negative thoughts. Just another day.

When I quit drinking, I had started working on my beliefs about it months prior; coaching myself to try to understand what my thoughts and feelings were about both alcohol and drinking. I also spent time learning about the impact of socialization and an alcohol infused culture on my thoughts and long held beliefs. I was tired of using alcohol to numb my feelings, celebrate/reward my wins, calm me down after a hard day, or to have fun with friends.

Although some people are able to go from drinking to not drinking in a day, I wasn’t one of those people. My decision took time, a lot of ups and downs, and indecision. Because I went through this process of self-coaching with trial and error, when I made the decision to quit, it was relatively easy. I don’t want to downplay the amount of work it took to make that decision and hold myself to it, but I also want to stress that it doesn’t have to be an unobtainable goal if cutting back is something you are interested in exploring.

If taking a break from alcohol is something you are interested in, let me know. I can help you.

#taketheleap