In today’s post, we’re going to look at 7 tips to stop drinking.
These tips truly changed my life.
It’s the advice I wish somebody gave to me when I was spinning my wheels, desperate for a solution.
A precursor before we get into the 7 simple tips to stop drinking
As always, it’s important to mention that this article, and all articles on this website, are written for people who are struggling to stop drinking.
If the advice given to you, such as “cut-back before you stop” and “try to moderate”, didn’t work, then these tips will offer a fresh perspective.
If you’ve tried will-power already, and AA wasn’t for you, then this article should give you some helpful tips.
Make sure to read all 7, as I have a small gift for you at the end!
1. Write the pain/pleasure list
The first tip we’re going to look at is writing the pain/pleasure list.
The pain/pleasure principle has been discussed by philosophers for hundreds of years.
They are arguably the two biggest motivators we have.
That’s right, moving away from pain and/or moving towards pleasure motivates us to do almost anything.
The pain/pleasure list involves making a list with two headings – one is pain and one is pleasure.
Under the “pain” heading, you want to write about all the pain that alcohol is causing you.
The hangovers, your family losing trust in you, not reaching your potential, health problems...You get the idea.
Write down as many reasons as you can. I could easily come up with 50.
Then, under the “pleasure” heading, write down all the pleasurable things that can happen when you stop drinking.
In my instance, that would have been starting a business, getting a girlfriend, more travel, saving more money, feeling confident about myself, getting strong, and so on.
Again, write as many reasons as you can. I could easily write 50 on this list as well.
This list can serve as a fantastic reminder when you are further into your journey.
You can always look back at your list and remind yourself who you are becoming.
And, you can also remind yourself of the pain you were once in.
2. Educate yourself and get Clear on alcohol
The second tip is educating yourself. This is a big one.
In fact, it’s beyond big. It’s huge.
Generally, people do not understand that alcohol is a fancy marketed poison that has zero benefits to drinking.
In fact, I’d argue that the only reason people think that alcohol has a single benefit to it, is because someone else put that thought into their head.
Most people that drink too much know they’re doing something wrong. But, they look around them. They look at the marketing, the endorsements, the movies…
“The majority can’t be wrong.”
They think to themselves
This conditioning makes it very hard for people to stop drinking.
But, it can easily be overcome through education.
This is a huge thing that everyone who stops drinking needs to do.
If you are serious about going this route, then buy the books, take the programs and look into hiring a coach.
Alcohol gives you absolutely nothing.
3. Have a vision of who you want to become
The next tip I have for you is to have a clear vision of the person you want to become.
Whilst other stop drinking methods may well have you focus a huge amount of your time in the past, I take the opposite approach.
The focus should be on building a better future.
I didn’t stop drinking to sit in a corner and dwell. I wasn’t prepared to live my life on the sidelines waiting for some magical moment when I can call myself a non-drinker.
I created a vision.
Creating a vision of the person you want to be is one of the most powerful things you can do on your journey.
That means creating a clear vision, and asking yourself these kinds of questions:
- What would my health look like? Would I be fitter, stronger, eating better, exercising more?
- How about your relationship with your significant other? How would that improve? Or, would you want to start looking for a lover?
- How would you want to serve your friends and family? What would your optimal friendship and family life look like?
- What would your work look like? Would you be contributing more? Would you be working on your career or business more intensely? Or would you take a step-back?
- How would your financial life improve? What direction would you want this to go in?
- Would you start up old hobbies again? Or take up new hobbies?
- What about your spiritual life? Would you spend more time being present, or would you take faith more seriously?
- What other major goals would you set?
Put all of this in writing. Create a one-page document where you let your ideas flow.
Get creative. Continually ask yourself, who am I becoming?
4. Start With Small Habits And Gain Momentum
Once you have a better vision of where you want your life to go once you are sober, the next step is to start gathering some momentum.
For example, you may find that your business is a major area of focus once you have kicked the drink.
So that might mean starting very small. It might mean talking to one new potential client each day.
If health is a major area of focus, it might mean just starting to do a few pushups and sit-ups in the morning or trading soda for water.
You want to try and do something each day to work towards your new life.
Do not, I repeat, do not dwell in the past.
Go towards the new version of you.
But, start small. Let the momentum build.
5. Avoid any major triggers
I’ll admit it. I do say that people should go towards a better life.
These days, I can happily go to bars, restaurants, and so on and I never crave alcohol.
However, during my first few months, I avoided certain people, places, and situations.
As we are already well aware, alcohol is a huge part of our society. It’s ingrained into almost everything. It is impossible to ignore it.
But, living in the shadows and attempting to avoid alcohol in every situation doesn’t work. It will still be there.
This is why I put a huge emphasis on education. That means reading books, listening to programs, and watching videos. You need to understand that alcohol gives you NOTHING.
However, I knew that there were certain people, places, and situations that I would struggle with, especially in the early days.
Being around a heavy problem drinker, especially if it was someone I knew, was challenging.
So, I did the logical thing and avoided it like the PLAGUE.
It was the same with certain bars and events. I just didn’t go. There was no point playing with fire.
And, I soon realized that I didn’t miss any of those places.
If you’re trying to stop drinking, try to avoid any major triggers. That might be events, certain people, or certain situations.
But, that doesn’t mean you should hide in the shadows. You should still embrace the new life. Just be smart.
6. Embrace the first 30-days
The next tip I have for you is to embrace the first 30-days.
For me, the first 30-days were enjoyable. It was a walk in the park. A week or two into stopping, I felt a huge rush of euphoria. I knew I had beaten it.
However, for some people, the first few weeks or even months can be challenging. People complain about lethargy and flu-like symptoms.
If you’re going to stop drinking, my tip is to embrace those 30-days.
Whatever emotion you feel, whether it’s good or bad, is part of your process.
It may be difficult or it may be easy. Whatever happens, vow to get through it.
I’ve just finished an article on the first 30-days alcohol-free. You can click here to read it.
7. Connect with other people living their best lives without alcohol
The seventh tip on how to stop drinking is to connect with other people living their best lives alcohol-free.
Sometimes, stopping drinking can be a lonely path.
Because most people are conditioned into thinking alcohol gives them something, you can feel as though you’re going against the grain.
Luckily, we have the internet in our pocket.
And, there are plenty of communities and support groups you can join.
You can join our very own Soberclear community by clicking here. We are a community of people living our best lives without alcohol.
And, another fantastic group that I am a moderator in is the Sober Inspired Pirates group. I’ve been in a lot of Facebook groups, and this one is by far the most supportive.
I’d recommend joining each of these.
Bonus Tip – Take this free training on how to make stopping drinking effortless and enjoyable
The final tip to stop drinking is to take this free training I have created.
It’s a 30-minute video that shows you the exact roadmap I used to stop drinking.
I expand on 3 huge secrets that you’ve probably never heard of before. We look at:
- Willpower – You do NOT need willpower…
- Enjoyable – Your life won’t become boring, it will become MORE FUN…
- Personality – You are NOT the problem…
You can access the free training by clicking here.
TL;DR
We looked at 7 tips to stop drinking, namely:
- Write the pain/pleasure list
- Educate yourself and get Clear on alcohol
- Have a vision of who you want to become
- Start With Small Habits And Gain Momentum
- Avoid any major triggers
- Embrace the first 30-days
- Connect with other people living their best lives without alcohol
And, I shared a bonus tip – which was taking the free training I created.
If you want to read more, I recommend checking out this, this, and this blog next.
Let me know your favourite tip in the comments.
Leon
