Are You Questioning Your Relationship with Alcohol, too?
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
Hello and happy February, friends! January was a very restorative month for me and included cutting out alcohol, trying new sober activities, and prioritizing self-care (aka getting lots of good sleep in). I found this month-long reset to be very helpful and have had lots of helpful conversations with friends/family about how to implement long-term behavior changes related to my relationship with alcohol.
If you have been questioning your relationship with alcohol and considering how you want this habit to look in your life as you approach a new month, then this blog post is for you. Below I have written out a few highlights for helpful behavior modification. I hope that you find these quick thoughts helpful if you are looking to change any of your current habits (related to alcohol or not).
As always, know that I am cheering you on and am so grateful to have you here!
For anyone questioning their relationship with alcohol…..
~Take An Assessment/Personal Inventory of Your Habit
Try taking a free assessment to see where your drinking habits are and what you’d like them to look like moving forward! This can help you to gain clarity over where your habits are currently and if/how you’d like to continue altering them moving forward:
https://screening.mhanational.org/screening-tools/addiction/?ref
~Increase your mindfulness with tracking/writing about your drinking habits:
If you are looking to increase your awareness of your drinking habits, consider writing about your habits by either tracking how much and how often you are drinking or writing about how your current drinking patterns make you feel physically and emotionally. It can be incredibly powerful to take an honest inventory of your habits and to see them clearly written out.
~Read literature that offers a different perspective:
It’s no secret that alcohol is advertised and pushed into the forefronts of our minds by big marketing campaigns on a daily basis. I find that it is helpful to read literature that offers a different perspective on alcohol and how it fits into our lives and society. Here are a few books that I highly recommend:
This Naked Mind by Annie Grace
Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitaker
Alcohol Explained by William Porter
The Sober Diaries by Clare Pooley
The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober by Catherine Gray
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Dopamine Nation by Anna Lembke
~Take things day by day:
As with any habit you are working to change, it can feel overwhelming to think about “never drinking again” if consuming alcohol is a way that you have relaxed, socialized, and/or coped with stress for many years. Try to check in with yourself and your habits each day rather than thinking weeks/months/years down the road.
Remind yourself that you are allowed to make different choices and that if you back slide or relapse, you can make a new, different choice the next day. Try to be extra supportive of yourself while you work to change your habits.
~Connect with your support system:
When you are making habit changes it will naturally impact your individual lifestyle as well as your relationships with those around you. Consider your helpful relationships and how you’d like to include your support system in your current decisions regarding alcohol and how it fits into your life. Remember to do this in a way that is fitting for you and your unique relationships.
~Know that there is professional help for further exploration:
As a final note, please remember that this blog post is not meant to be a replacement for any alcohol or substance related diagnosis and/or treatment. If you feel that alcohol is impacting your life and relationships then you should reach out to a licensed professional for further assistance.
Please see the resources below:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
https://openpathcollective.org
No matter where you are on your journey related to your habits, I hope that you feel encouraged & empowered to make a different choice or set of choices that better aligns with your values and with the best version of yourself. Remember, it is never too late to start a new chapter.
If you would like to connect, please don’t hesitate to reach out! You can reach me by my work phone: (757) 434-5811 or via email: vbcounselingcollective@gmail.com.
All the best,
Ragan
