From New Year’s resolutions to taking part in dry January, many people will be actively cutting out alcohol this month, and for some, this sober lifestyle may continue indefinitely.
However, plenty of challenges come with making sober resolutions and sticking to them. That’s why the team of experts at Private Rehab Clinic, Delamere, have provided tips to help you stick to your New Year’s goals. These suggestions will also aid you in maintaining your sobriety for the month or beyond if you want a more permanent lifestyle change.
Identify your triggers
For some people, drinking alcohol can be a behavioural response and coping mechanism for emotional trauma. This is why it’s important to identify what kind of emotional triggers make you turn to alcohol. This could be certain emotions, situations, or people. Once these triggers are identified, you can minimise or remove them from your daily life.
Get support from family and friends
To keep on track with your sober resolutions, it is important to have support from those closest to you. Be sure to tell your friends and family about your sober goals and help them to understand your reasons for wanting to achieve them.
If you are planning to socialise during your period of sobriety, try and make plans that would not typically involve alcohol. There are plenty of other fun ways to spend time with your nearest and dearest without alcohol – for example, and you could go for a walk.
Remove alcohol from the household
Suppose you feel that you are easily tempted by having alcohol within proximity. In that case, the best option to ensure that you stick to your sober resolutions is to remove the element of temptation. Discard any undrunk alcohol from around the home if you can to prevent yourself from being tempted.
Keep a diary or journal
Getting into the routine of writing a diary or journal throughout your sober journey is also beneficial. Keeping track of your goals and logging achievements and the health benefits that you feel can aid you in positively reinforcing your work towards sobriety.
Also, this is a great way to release any negative thoughts, emotions, and struggles that you may be experiencing throughout your sobriety.
Take up a new hobby
Part of being sober means you may need to fill your time with alcohol-free activities. This is an ideal opportunity to take up a new hobby that does not involve alcohol. From cycling and swimming to painting, there are plenty of fun activities to be taken up in place of drinking. You can also make the most of your hangover-free days.
Exercise
Exercise is an ideal way to improve both physical and mental health. Not only does this benefit you in terms of health, but it can also help to keep you occupied and focused on your fitness goals. If weight loss is a personal goal of yours as part of your New Year’s resolutions, regular exercise combined with cutting out alcohol is a great way to lower cholesterol and help you to lose weight.
Celebrate your successes
No matter how big or small, positive reinforcement of your success with your sober resolution is always recommended. Mark important milestones achieved by being kind to yourself or celebrating with friends and family by doing something fun which does not involve alcohol.
Be kind to yourself
There is no denying that sticking to sober resolutions can be challenging, as it is, without putting additional pressure on yourself. If you experience a moment of weakness, you must not beat yourself up with negative feelings. Instead of dwelling on the negative, assess what caused the slip-up and formulate a plan to help you continue with your sobriety.
Specialist treatment and support groups
If you are deciding to remove alcohol from your life due to developing an alcohol addiction, there are plenty of support options available for you.
If you’re having trouble reaching your target, seek support from a professional and try to change your habits and ways of reducing consumption. Support groups can be a huge help when it comes to achieving your sobriety goals.
When treating addiction, private rehabilitation is often the best method, as it offers a tailored and structured approach to helping the person overcome their problem.
Rehabilitation programs will look to understand and deal with the underlying causes and triggers, such as suggesting undergoing trauma therapy or offering support in dealing with feelings of anger, frustration, and anxiety that may be causing the issue.
