One habit that might still be evolving (as the pandemic itself evolves) is your relationship with alcohol.
Now, here are five tips that you may find insightful for cutting back if you want to.
I started attendingonline alcohol support group meetings.
People who cut back on drinking alcohol share how they did it.
The cravings at night were very intense.
I came upon sobriety memoirist Laura McKowens name.
I started attending TLC meetings in mid-August, about 10 days after I had quit drinking.
I have never experienced anything like it.
Having other people to walk the path with and who are sharing the same struggles makes the process bearable.
The number one benefit of giving up alcohol that keeps me going is my connection to my son.
I hadnt realized the wall alcohol had put up between us.
Eight weeks after I quit drinking, he said, Mommy, why is it so fun now?
He didnt know what wine was or that I had quit, but he felt the shift.
Mentally, I had come home to him and to myself.
When sobriety gets hard, I think of the last year with him and I bite down, recommit.
He and I are worth it.
I have been sober over a year now and still regularly attend meetings.
Megan R., 38
2.
Nonalcoholic beverages were a game changer.
In the early days of the pandemic, everyone seemed to have a why not?
attitude about drinking, my wife and I included.
But we realized that these alcohol-fueled nights only added to ourstress and anxiety.
So we decided in the summer of 2020 to try and go at least one month without drinking.
I gave myself a new treat at the end of the evening.
I was widowed in 2019 and home alone with four-year-old twins during the pandemic.
If these French bubbles could talk, they would tell you what we have experienced together.
In February 2021 I asked myself, Could I make it through the night without my beloved?
I got sober curious.
The first night was hard.
I felt like I had ahangover, but I hadnt had a sip.
As the days went on, I realized I missed alcohol, but I didnt need it.
Im not sure how long it will last, but I do know Im not dependent on alcohol now.
Monique S., 45
4.
I keep reminding myself of how far Ive come.
I gave up drinking on Thursday, November 19, 2020, and I havent looked back since.
I definitely dont regret my decision.
I just went cold turkey.
When I stopped drinking, it didnt take long for me to notice the benefits.
Within a few days, my energy levels had increased and my skin started to look a lot healthier.
Ive been working out every day.
I love the feeling of knowing that I am taking care of my body and putting myself first.
It can be hard at times, especially when youre out with people who drink too much.
Since giving up alcohol, I had one night where I had a few glasses of Prosecco.
I was out with friends who were all drinking and gave in to peer pressure.
The minute I made the decision to have a drink, I regretted it.
I still had three drinks and then stopped.
I havent had another alcoholic drink since then.
Georgina C., 35
5.
I simply started reducing the size of the glasses.
Before the pandemic I would drink only one glass of wine a day, if that.
I would generally drink four or five glasses a week.
To do this, I simply started reducing the size of the glasses in which I drank wine.
Today I can even go without that!
Marilyn G., 27
Quotes have been edited for length and clarity.
