Time for the peak of summer means countless hours spent by the pool and on any other activities that involve being outside. While this is certainly a great way to spend the season, it often comes with its own set of challenges. For many people, summer also means when they feel inclined to indulge in alcohol more frequently. You don’t need to give up on fun when the sun comes out. You can make it through summer by staying sober and not drinking alcohol again with the right strategy.
Some tips and tricks on dealing with alcohol cravings and staying alcohol-free during the summer season are outlined below.
Know Your Triggers
When it comes to staying alcohol-free, it’s important to understand what types of situations or environments are likely to trigger you to want to drink. New Horizon explains that your brain won’t differentiate between a real urge to drink and a memory trigger. This means you will feel like you need a drink, even though you don’t.
Exercise
According to New Horizon, exercise can be an outlet for negative emotions and a way to distract yourself from stressful thoughts. Exercise is also an ideal way to enhance your self-worth, making you feel more confident when dealing with cravings.
Maintain Your Sober Connections
If you have a sober network of friends, this is one of the best ways to prevent yourself from succumbing to alcohol cravings. Having a network of sober friends prevents you from feeling socially anxious and experiencing feelings of loneliness.
Occupy Yourself with Non-alcoholic Drinks
If you’re struggling with alcohol cravings, you can try to occupy yourself with non-alcoholic drinks. This may be anything from drinking water to juice to any other type of non-alcoholic beverage you enjoy. This is an excellent way to distract yourself from your cravings without feeling like you’re depriving yourself.
Stay Mentally Busy
New Horizon Counseling Center explains that a great way to deal with alcohol cravings is to stay mentally busy. This could be anything from taking up a new hobby to reading a book. The key here is to do something that will fill up your brain’s attention so that it doesn’t even have to think about alcohol.
Find a Support Group
Another great way to deal with alcohol cravings is to find a support group. This could be a group for people who are trying to stay sober. Having a support group is a great way to remind yourself that you’re not alone in this journey. It is also a perfect way to get encouragement from people who have been in your shoes before. New Horizon Counseling Center can also support you in staying alcohol-free this summer.
Have an Exit Strategy
When you feel like you’re about to crave a drink, it can be helpful to have an exit strategy in place. You can do this to help keep you focused on your sober goals and distract you from the craving. It is also a good way to prevent yourself from getting socially anxious when you’re around drinking people.
There are diverse ways that you can stay sober during the summer months. However, the best way to do this is to be prepared for the challenges that come along with it. Therefore, it is advisable to prepare for the summer as soon as spring ends. That way, you will have more time to get ready and are less likely to feel like summer is coming too quickly.
