Take a 90-day break from alcohol to test your relationship with it; if the thought of this break causes fear or rejection, it may indicate alcohol has a stronger grip than you realize.
Commit to a 90-day alcohol-free period to potentially experience significant benefits like weight loss, improved fitness, enhanced mental clarity, reduced anxiety, better sleep, and improved relationships.
If you are a middle-lane drinker struggling with insecurity, removing alcohol can be the greatest thing you can do, as it helps rebuild confidence and regain personal power, even if it initially feels like losing a protective persona.
To understand your relationship with alcohol, use the ‘ambivalence seesaw’ tool: list perceived benefits of drinking on one side, current negative consequences on the other, then list potential benefits of being alcohol-free, challenge the truth of perceived benefits, and brainstorm alternative ways to achieve desired rewards.
To achieve long-term behavior change, identify and understand the original role that behavior served in your life.
Be aware that alcohol can significantly hinder consistency in exercise, disrupt nutritional strategies, destroy sleep quality, and negatively impact mental well-being, even for average drinkers.
Establish a daily meditation practice to feel calmer, more relaxed, and present, and to potentially experience benefits like reduced stress, increased calm, improved focus, and positive structural brain changes over time.
Actively retrain yourself to socialize without alcohol by getting comfortable showing up as your authentic self, similar to how others have learned to do so.
When experiencing social anxiety without alcohol, sit with the discomfort for about 15 minutes, as your primitive brain may settle down and recognize it’s safe, allowing the anxiety to dissipate.
Show up and shine as your authentic self in all aspects of life (socially, career, family) because there is inherent power and attractiveness in genuine energy, fostering stronger connections than trying to be someone you’re not.
Avoid attributing feelings of being overweight, unhappy, or unfulfilled to ‘middle age,’ as this can be a limiting belief that prevents realizing one’s full potential for health and vitality later in life.
Aim for a longer period of sobriety (e.g., 90 days rather than just 28) to maximize the impact and personally experience the transformative benefits, leading to self-realization of its value.
Engage in solitude and self-awareness practices like journaling to step outside your daily life, reflect on it, and gain perspective.
If you identify as alcoholic or are worried about alcohol dependence, seek professional medical advice before attempting to take a break from drinking.