4. Go Back to School: Nearly every one of us has thought about returning to school for one reason or another. Attending a night class a few times a week is a tremendous way to improves ourselves. This empowering habit that can effortlessly reduce our alcohol intake.
5. Hang Out with Non-Drinkers: This can be done in a myriad of ways, from visiting a senior center to joining a book club. It’s a fantastic idea to surround yourself with people who have no use for alcohol!
A Combination of New Habits Works Best
You may need to use a combination of these examples to fully cover the hours you normally would drink. But remember, the absolutely best way to stop drinking alcohol is to REPLACE that bad habit of drinking with a new, self-empowering habit. One that makes it difficult or impossible to drink while you do it.
You can start off slow if you want to. For instance, if you normally drink from 5pm to 10pm each day, try adopting a good habit that will cover that first hour (e.g., exercise, a visit to the library). Then as that habit becomes ingrained, you can add another good habit that would cover another chunk of the hours you used to drink.
Don’t Forget to Reward Yourself for Not Drinking
A basic principle of psychology says that when a behavior is followed by a reward, that behavior becomes reinforced. So make sure that after each new habit you then reinforce the behavior in some manner. This reinforcement can be as simple as writing about how good you feel in your journal, to buying yourself a small gift.
Best Way to Stop Drinking? Adopt a New Habit!
Start today to replace your drinking habit with another empowering habit. You’ll soon be on your way to feeling healthier and happier than you’ve felt in a long, long time.
And isn’t that what all we wanted in the first place? ♦