You are thinking about not drinking alcohol anymore or reducing your consumption a bit? Then you've come to the right place! Whether it's an enjoyable beer at the end of the day or a sparkling champagne to toast birthdays and New Year's Eve - we like to take a sip or two of alcohol for a variety of reasons. But alcohol consumption also harbors countless disadvantages and dangers, which is why more and more people are trying to stop it.
In this article, I would like to give you the most important tips for consuming fewer alcoholic beverages or none at all in the future. First of all, I'll briefly explain why we reach for alcohol more often and what positive consequences abstaining from alcohol can have for you personally. Let's go!
Why do we actually reach for alcohol now and then?
Alcohol is a Culturally accepted drug - but why do we actually consume it? I could make it easy for myself now and simply say that addiction drives people to alcohol. But there are still some upstream motives for consuming alcohol before one becomes a habitual drinker or a dependent alcoholic.
I would like to explain these to you briefly here and thus, if necessary, also stimulate you to think about them:
- Social: We associate alcohol consumption primarily with fun, talkativeness, looseness and openness.
- Reinforcement: Drinking alcoholic beverages has a disinhibiting effect and provides exuberance and looseness. It is precisely these properties that ultimately increase the risk of addiction.
- Coping: The effect of alcohol in the body is also calming, stress-reducing and euphoric. Accordingly, it helps to drown and forget for a short time sadness, irritability, excessive demands and stress.
- Conformity: When we agree with or behave like others, we fit in better with a particular group. Peer pressure is a particularly common reason for consuming alcohol.
These are the main drinking motives that ensured that around three million adults between the ages of 18 and 64 had an alcohol-related disorder in Germany in 2018.₁ (Alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence)
Benefits - What happens when we give up alcohol?
Of course, this question cannot be answered sweepingly and with absolute certainty. But abstinence from alcohol has a long list of positive consequences for people. Here I would like to name typical advantages that you can expect after one week, one month and one year without alcohol.
After two weeks
You...
- can go deeper and sleep better
- are more efficient
- take in fewer calories (helps e.g. with the healthy slimming)
- have less stress
- Has greater self-confidence
After one month
You...
- have a much clearer, smoother complexion
- feel more attractive and less bloated
- feel more zest for life and vitality
- have less appetite for foods rich in carbohydrates and fats
- are more resistant to diseases
- have a healthier blood pressure
After one year
You...
- have no more embarrassing moments in the rush
- are healthier and look like it
- have increased potency and libido
- have better self-control
- have much more money in your wallet
- have become even more strong-willed because you follow through with your plan
- have a significantly longer life expectancy
- feel generally more comfortable, emotionally stable and powerful
- have fun experiencing the world soberly
Notice: These are just the benefits of not drinking alcohol that are pretty much certain to happen. When you stop drinking alcohol, basically your entire life can change in a positive way. New friendships, better job opportunities... just to name a few.
Drink less or no more alcohol with these 10 tips!
Large Changes in life are usually difficult for us - whether we stop drinking alcohol, no longer eat meat, or stop smoking. But there are certainly one or two tips and tricks to skillfully outsmart the inner pig and get rid of old habits. Here I would like to give you, briefly and concisely, the most valuable advice to hand.
1. know your reasons
Save money, more energy in everyday life, better complexion, Less bad breathYou'll have more self-confidence, fewer cravings, no more embarrassing alcoholic escapades to regret... the list is long. Internalize all the reasons you don't want to drink alcohol anymore. Also, realize that you don't need it. Beer, vodka, wine and Cuba Libre are simply not essential drinks.
2. set goals
Your goal is to remain steadfast and to not to drink alcohol in the future or, for example, to drink alcohol only 1x per month. Depending on your current alcohol consumption, this may be a big goal for you, which is why you may need a lot of willpower. In any case, orientate yourself with your goal on the SMART formula. It should be specific, measurable, accepted, realistic, and scheduled.
Tip: Motivate yourself with a bonus for reaching your goals! This could be a vacation trip or a visit to a concert, for example.
3. change your drinking habits
Find alternatives for situations in which you experience a tendency to reach for alcoholic beverages. For example, do you like to drink a beer or a glass of wine with dinner? Then replace them with a non-alcoholic beer and grape juice from now on. Do you like to celebrate cocktail evenings with your friends? Then just mix yourself a non-alcoholic cocktail. And so on.
4. learn to say "no
An important tip for consuming less or no alcohol at all in the long term is to learn to say "no." And not "no" to the question "Are you coming to the party tonight?", but rather only "no" to alcohol. Realize that you are not putting your friendships at risk, but simply trying to achieve your personal goals. This will keep you from falling back into old habits.
Tip: Tell others about your project. This will make it more binding - and real friends are guaranteed to support you as well.
5. reduce stress and tension in other ways
Alcohol is a magical attraction for many people because it helps them forget their worries in the short term. But experience shows that worries only get bigger in the long run. You can also relieve professional or private stress by doing sports such as Jogging, squash, boxing or soccer - but also through the Read books or painting dismantle.
Tip: Do you already know the sport Plogging? There you collect trash from nature while jogging - and you can combine stress relief and environmental protection.
6. think about the day after
The more you drink, the worse you feel the next day. I think that each of us can confirm this. After intoxication you feel lousy, tired, sluggish and unwell. However, such a bad hangover can at least motivate you to never drink alcohol again in order to avoid such situations and unbearable headaches in the future. Keeping in mind the disadvantages of alcohol consumption in general is certainly one of the most helpful tips for successful alcohol abstinence.
7. consider alcohol as candy
Alcohol is not a fun substance, but a stimulant. And one that is addictive, unhealthy, and provides maximum short-term relaxation. By calling it an unhealthy sweet and not as a refreshing, fun drink the psychological barrier to consuming beer, wine, vodka, champagne and other alcoholic beverages automatically increases.
8. seek professional help
Of course, whether you get withdrawal symptoms when you abstain from alcohol depends on how much and how often you regularly consume alcoholic beverages. But if you have a Excessive cravings or a diminished capacity for control you should definitely get professional help from the outside.
For example, contact the information telephone of the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA) or directly to an addiction counseling center near you.
9. change your social environment
They say you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. If there is often a lot of drinking going on in your immediate environment, this makes it even harder to stop drinking. The willpower must be particularly great for this. Rather, spend as much time as possible with people who also drink no or very little alcohol.
The environment also includes the places where you spend your free time. Pubs and discos are not the ideal place if you want to stop drinking alcohol. Instead, go to the sports field or jog through the forest, read a book in the hammock in the garden or go for a bike ride with your best friends. Experience has shown that it is really hard to drink alcohol 😉 .
10. do not possess alcohol
If there's nothing there, you can't drink it. By simply not having alcohol on hand, you automatically prevent the temptation to pour yourself a glass or two of wine after all. And when friends come to visit? Then you simply ask beforehand what they would like to drink.
Stop drinking alcohol - Use the tips!
You have firmly resolved to consume less or no alcohol from now on? Then please use the tips from this article to adjust your consumption behavior. Alcohol is a cytotoxin that attacks the liver in particular. It is not healthy and usually aggravates one's own worries and problems. A well-planned and permanently successful abstention from alcohol, on the other hand, brings countless benefits. From better skin and healthier sleep, to increased well-being and more money in the wallet, to a longer life expectancy.
I hope that this article was able to motivate you to abstain from alcohol or at least to be more aware of alcohol consumption. Do you have any questions, tips or suggestions on the subject of abstaining from alcohol? Then I look forward to your comments.
Stay healthy,
PS.: Did you know that you can also be addicted to your cell phone? In the next article I'll show you how to avoid a possible Fight smartphone addiction simply by following your heart.
References:
₁ Deutsche Hauptstelle für Suchtfragen e. V.: Alkohol - Zahlen, Daten, Fakten, available at https://www.dhs.de/suechte/alkohol/zahlen-daten-fakten. [02.05.2022].
