Drinking during the holidays is a norm for many people across the globe.
However, it can be difficult to jump back into your day-to-day routine after drinking heavily throughout the holiday season. While the time off from work and spending time with loved ones is always nice, it’s easy to overindulge when drinking during holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and especially New Year’s Eve. For many families, alcohol and the holidays go hand in hand, but the continuous intake of champagne, beer, cider, and eggnog has the potential to push you into a drinking problem. For those who may be struggling with alcohol consumption after the holidays, here are some tips to quit drinking that can help.
While you may be confident in your ability to stop after a certain number of drinks, cutting down after the season has ended can be more challenging than you realize. As a Palm Springs drug rehab, we understand the dangers of alcohol and how easily a person can become dependent on it. Check out the tips below and use them as a guide to begin your recovery.
Tips for Quitting Alcohol After the Holiday Season
For many, alcohol use and the holidays are like peanut butter and jelly. While some people can manage their alcohol consumption when celebrating these milestones with loved ones, others eventually develop a problem and even reach the point where they require an alcohol detox. If you want to learn how to stop drinking after the New Year has rolled out, our team at Banyan Palm Springs rehab is sharing some tips to stop drinking alcohol that can get you started.
Remove Alcohol from Your Home
The first order of business is to get rid of any alcohol in your home. Recovering from a drinking problem and even alcohol use disorder isn’t about testing your willpower. It’s about finding ways to adjust your lifestyle so that it supports your sobriety, and this means removing as much temptation as you can. If you wouldn’t buy a box of donuts for the house when avoiding sugar, then you shouldn’t keep alcoholic drinks in your home if you’re trying to quit drinking alcohol.
Avoid Events or Places That Serve Alcohol
Another way to quit drinking is to avoid places where alcohol is served. Although you might currently be at a phase where you’re able to safely stop drinking without struggling with withdrawals because you haven’t developed a legitimate substance use disorder, you should try to be as strict with yourself as possible for the first month of this process. Whether you’re limiting your alcohol intake or going completely dry, you should avoid places where alcohol is available to help you stop drinking after the holidays.
Drink Something Festive Instead of “Alcoholic”
There are plenty of fun holiday drinks you can enjoy that are alcohol-free, starting with eggnog. Although many people spike their eggnog, an easy way to cut back on alcohol is to enjoy an alcohol-free glass of this festive drink. You can also enjoy festive coffees or even mocktails that can be made to taste just as good and are conducive to your recovery goals.
Always Have a Cup in Your Hand
This tip is geared more toward party-goers. For those times when you’re at a holiday party, a great way to avoid the temptation to answer “yes” to “Do you want a drink?” is by always having a cup in your hand. Peer pressure and the simple question “Do you want a drink?” are among the most common triggers over the holidays. Even if it’s just soda, eggnog, or water, this is an easy way to prevent the question altogether and keep yourself accountable.
Don’t Hesitate to Say ‘No’
Get good at saying no to people who might encourage you or even push you to drink. You can say, “No thanks, I’m trying to cut back,” or “get healthy.” While it’s nice to be kind when rejecting any offers to drink alcohol, it’s also important to be firm and stick to your goals.
Take Care of Your Health
For many people, alcohol is a crutch for coping with stress, exhaustion, and even symptoms of poor mental health. For this reason, a great way to prevent alcohol consumption – especially for the wrong reasons – is to take good care of your physical and mental well-being. This means eating a healthy diet, drinking lots of water every day, getting a solid 8 hours of sleep, practicing self-care, and any other positive habit you can implement in your daily routine. When we care for ourselves in this way, we rely less on harmful and self-destructive habits to make us feel better.
Focus on Creating Healthy Habits
If you’re constantly thinking about the alcohol you aren’t consuming, this process may be a little more difficult. Especially if drinking becomes a norm during the holiday season, it can be difficult to get your mind off alcohol. However, instead of focusing on the alcohol that you’re not drinking, find new ways to enjoy the holiday season and fill the gaps in your day. Create healthy habits and incorporate other activities into your routine, like regular exercise, self-care, and finding other ways to spend time with loved ones.
Recruit an Accountability Partner
It’s often easier to stick to an agreement when you have someone to keep you accountable. Tell a friend or family member what you want to do and check in with them consistently. Making this transition after the holiday season can go a lot smoother with the help of a loved one.
We’ve listed various good ways to quit drinking that are beneficial to individuals who are looking to quit or at least cut down on their alcohol consumption. These are precautionary measures to consider if you want to create a healthier lifestyle for yourself. However, if you’re showing serious signs of a drinking problem, then professional alcohol addiction treatment is advised.
If you or someone you know is struggling with a drug or drinking problem, our California detox center can help. We offer a variety of detox and addiction treatment programs to ensure everyone who walks through our doors can be helped.
Call Banyan Treatment Centers Palm Springs today at 888-280-4763 to get started.
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