5 helpful tips for going alcohol free

Cutting down or limiting alcohol intake can have great benefits including weight loss, healthier skin, better mood, higher quality sleep, more money and lots more. Whether it's for a few days or months, cutting down will have a number of perks. So if you like a good drink or two, strap in and use these 5 tips to help get you through it. 

1. Tell your friends

Yes, tell them. Hopefully they’ll understand and be nice enough not to lead you astray from your plans and who knows, maybe you’ll encourage them to give it a go.

2. Bin it and stock up on the good stuff

Remove or relocate any alcohol you have in sight like your attic or garage. This will help reduce temptations to finishing any half-open bottles of wine. Also stock up on the good stuff. By good stuff we mean non-alcoholic options. Alcohol-free drinks are widely available if you look for them. The milk and juice aisle in your local supermarket is a good place to start.

3. Pencil in fun stuff for the diary

Oh yes, you can still have fun without drinking. Make plans with family and friends that don’t require an alcoholic drink. Trust me, there are lots.

4. Use an app

Try this. It’s a guide for a free app called Try Dry that can help you to stay on track throughout the month. 

5. Treat yourself 

Besides feeling healthier and good about yourself, you might have saved a few extra pennies by not spending them on alcohol. Perhaps you could use them to treat yourself to a nice dinner or a weekend excursion. 

Besides the great health benefits of going alcohol-free, after a period of abstinence it can encourage you to re-evaluate your relationship with alcohol. You might be sleeping better, have a better mood or be more productive at work. These are helpful personal takeaways that you can draw from the experience and going forward, your thoughts on drinking might change for the better.