If we heard our friend who uses cocaine say “but nothing will be fun without it? ” We would say to them…..you have a problem. As I reflect, I realize that I didn’t need to be “good” at being alcohol free. I didn’t need to be better at it, secure in it, or “crush” it in order to live this way. The thing that was most important in solidifying my success was starting.

This question is what I searched for when I was trying to decide if I needed to quit or could moderate. I get this question a lot, so I wanted to share it with you, but it’s not the question we should ask as women. This question is coming from a place of trying to make alcohol work. My hangovers were painfully brutal for at least two days after a typical day or night of drinking.

Life in a New Normal: How to Practice Self-Care During a Pandemic

The This Naked Mind Companion App creates the safe and private space you need. You control how much you share while tapping into the thousands of others who have made it safe to question the role alcohol plays in your life. You can finally feel safe to ask questions and be vulnerable!

The unused nutri­ents, such as sug­ar, are con­vert­ed to fat and stored in your body. Alco­hol can also stim­u­late your appetite, caus­ing you to eat more than you nor­mal­ly would. Reduc­ing the amount of alco­hol you con­sume can help you to make bet­ter food choic­es and elim­i­nate unnec­es­sary calo­ries and sug­ars from your diet. When questioned about her choice to stop drinking, Sarah Wood, a writer for The Cut, told ABC News that finding support from close friends or family is essential during the process. The study cited causes of the rise in drinking during the pandemic as increased stress, boredom and alcohol availability. Poor gut health and microbiota imbalance can ultimately weaken one aspect of how our body protects us from illness. Bumping up our vitamin C intake, washing our hands and getting quality sleep are all tried-and-true ways to help us stay cold and flu-free .

Sport on social media

There are also many social benefits to being alcohol-free, such as being able to attend events and gatherings without feeling the pressure to drink and making new friends who also don’t drink. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ Dry January started in 2012 as an initiative by a British charity, AlcoholChangeUK, to encourage people to lose weight, stop hangovers, and save money by not drinking for a solid 31 days.

Gradual reduction in drinking is good when someone’s giving serious thought to what is the sober curious movement and adopting this new sobriety. Over a few weeks, it should be possible to stop drinking altogether— as long as there isn’t already an alcohol dependence or AUD that requires treatment. Since Towson is committed to creating communities that encourage positive choices, we offer additional alcohol free lifestyle experiences specifically for students who choose to live a life free of alcohol, regardless of age. Within the Alcohol Free Community, residents will receive education and peer support for responsible living. Students assigned to this community must be committed to living an alcohol-free lifestyle. This community is a partnership between the Counseling Center and Housing & Residence Life.

Why millennials are increasingly choosing an alcohol-free lifestyle

I was making very little money and when I was drinking what little financial hope that I had was overtaken by my desperate need to “be” fun. But it does allow me to start working on the things that need fixing, and for that – I’m thankful. Alcohol does a great job of doing what it’s intended to do. We use it to relax, or to let loose after a long day.

Your routine probably looks a lot different from the way it did at the start of the current health crisis. Turn to these resources for help prioritizing… A psychologist and behavior-change expert weighs in on the social media exchange. With crisper air and the leaves turning, these self-care ideas will leave you feeling cozy and energized. You don’t have to abandon your cocktails entirely — or the rituals you share with friends and family, Dr. Fong says. But bring other routines into your repertoire that give you a sense of calm and joy. Coronavirus anxiety aside, more and more experts say there’s probablyno amount of alcohol that’s really okay for your health.

Who Am I Without Alcohol?

If you’re life is so consumed with alcohol that you can’t think of other things to do for fun then it’s likely you have placed too much emphasis on drinking and that’s a problem. I say this with love because this one was huge for me. My hobby was drinking, my favorite pastime was drinking, everything revolved around drinking. It wasn’t until I stopped that I realized how caught up I was in using alcohol to enhance my life. Sure, a buzz feels good at first, but alcohol dims your senses and disrupts almost every single bodily function.

Wine o’clock or the wine witch or the witching hour…the time where you just know you are going to cave. I know this feeling and I also know there is no such thing as the witching hour.