Preparing for your alcohol break – My Top Tips

Thinking about taking a break from alcohol? 

To give yourself the best chance of success it is important to prepare. 

I have been alcohol free now for 18 months and could not be happier or more pleased with that decision, however prior to this I had 26 individual months off as well a 7 month stint off in the past 10 years, so it has been some journey so far.

The wholly grail is to lean into the challenge, to continue to do things you usually do while being able to mindfully choose a non-alc alternative with no physical or emotional effects on your body and mind (that is very achievable btw!!)

However, the truth is at the start of your journey, it is very difficult as alcohol is a fiercely addictive substance and we do not understand how powerful it is until we decide to stop.

Here are my tips for taking a break, whether it be 2 weeks or 12 months.

1. Tell your nearest and dearest. They do not have to be doing it with you however support from family and friends helps. For me the important message was 'it is a lifestyle choice' and 'I am seeing how it goes and I would appreciate your support’.
2. Get rid of the booze from the house. You might have a bottle of cognac or a wine cellar you not ready to tip away, one step at a time, so moving any 'triggers' out of the house just helps. We are trying to create new habits and being reminded of old ones can be tempting in a moment of weakness.
3. Plan out your diary for your chosen time off. Highlight the potential challenges. There is no doubt that certain events in the first 2-6 weeks of your break may trigger you more than others: birthdays, work do's, parties etc. It is worth either avoiding these events all together or cutting them short - eventually you will be able to tackle them with aplomb but initially they will be tough.
4. Get a good stash of the non-alc in. In my house non-alc beer is just beer my favourites are @luckysaint and @althleticbrewing. We are blessed to live in world of great tasting alcohol free alternatives, do yourself a favour and make sure you have plenty in the house I can also recommend Non for a wine alternative and Optimist for a spirit alternative. Use them as a treat, to replace booze in triggering times and enjoy them in the same way.
5. Live in the present moment and take it one day at a time. It is a cliche but so true if you say to yourself, I am never going to have a beer again, that sounds impossible, but if you say I am not going to drink today then it seems manageable, then you add the days up, they become weeks, weeks become months... you get the idea.
6. Take the fourth day off work or plan for it to be on the weekend and do something fun. The fourth day is the day the booze leaves your system, and your body starts repairing, also at the time alcohol takes one last pull on your will power. So do yourself a favour do something fun, distract yourself and get through the day it’s a big milestone.
7. Document your urges. I could advise you to journal and meditate, but you know that so just document your urges it is like a worry diary (google it classic CBT technique), write it down and the emotion / reason for the urge e.g., 4.00pm Thursday - reward or 2.00pm Sunday - fear of week ahead. Keep it simple it will help you understand your habit.
8. Play the tape til the end. This one's from AA / The 12 Steps. If you are feeling the urge, take a moment do some circular breathing (4 secs in, 4 secs hold, 4 secs out), for no more than 3 mins but 1 is fine. Then play out the whole story. One drink leads to 5, then maybe a call to get something stronger, then another 5, then a late night, lack of sleep if any at all, wake up hanging, rubbish human at work or with the kids, tempted to drink again the next day to take the edge off....... That one drink suddenly does not seem so clever.
9. Set boundaries and DO NOT negotiate with yourself. I do this all the time in the gym, set myself a rep range and then as a I get closer to finishing, I negotiate with myself on the boundaries I have set. This is no different, make a pact with yourself make yourself accountable.
10. Give yourself a break. A slight contradiction on the above but think back to my experience 26 weeks of failing, add another 7 months and finally I feel I am over it, it might take some time. What you are doing is hard, alcohol has been a big part of your life for a long time, you might make a mistake have drink, that’s ok you are still one step closer to success.
11. Remember what you do to have fun. Our society is geared around recreational drinking, we meet friends and family in multiple settings for multiple reasons and invariably alcohol is involved. Think back to a time when you did not drink, what did you do for fun? Perhaps it was a team sport football or netball, why not join a team or pick up that music instrument you put down when you were 17. Or maybe it is something new, for me it was surfing but do something with the extra time you have.
12. Dopamine and Serotonin regulation. Your brain is going to miss the effects of alcohol, which in short is the effects of increased dopamine and serotonin. Look for other ways to get your fix. Green tea for example increases dopamine and exercise and breath work can increase Serotonin - build some healthier habits.