How To Motivate Yourself To Stop Binge Drinking

February 4 2022 - Binge drinking refers to drinking a large amount of alcohol over a short period. This can be a serious form of alcoholism. When an alcohol test is taken, binge drinking shows up on a level of .05 blood alcohol content, typically five drinks for men and four for women, all within two hours. If binge drinking is done habitually, your health - and overall quality of life will suffer the consequences.

Making that decision to stop binge drinking entails planning a series of goals for yourself, staying motivated, and giving yourself the best chance of success. There are days when it’s going to be easier said than done. Hence, all that motivation will certainly come in handy.

With that said, browse around this site and read through below for insights on how you can effectively motivate yourself to stop binge drinking.

Change Your Environment

No matter how motivated you may be to stop binge drinking, it can get even more challenging to adhere to in the wrong environment. It could be the same group of friends or family members who may have contributed to getting you addicted to alcohol in the first place. You can keep yourself more motivated by staying on track and no longer being in the same company.

It can be more challenging to cut back on drinking when you’re constantly reminded of it. Note that this pursuit is very much about breaking old habits in the hopes of building new and better ones. Now's not the time for you to still linger and hang out in the same places you always did, with the same individuals who are binge drinkers themselves.

Count On Family And Friends For Support

Your friends and family are your greatest support system. You can count on them to help you through this process of letting go of binge drinking. Remember to let go of those who are of bad influence to you. The friends and family you rely on now are those whom you’re certain are supportive, every step of the way, to give you a new and improved life.

On the days when it’ll be challenging to keep your motivation up, your family and friends can serve as your accountability system. They can help get you back on track. Ideally, this support group should also include someone you can call anytime, especially when you’re having cravings or going through difficult withdrawal symptoms.

Set Specific Goals

Deciding to cut back on alcohol consumption should be an entirely personal decision. You can’t just decide on this because someone told you. Otherwise, you may risk losing motivation when you’re simply forced. If it’s something you really want for yourself, it’s easier to keep going, no matter how strong the temptation to go back to binge drinking is.

It follows then that you should also set specific goals for yourself. Make those goals as specific and realistic as possible. For example, decide on how much alcohol you like to cut down on weekly. Once that’s achieved, you can then slowly work your way up to increasing those goals.

Reward Your Accomplishments

When you’ve reached your goals, reward yourself no matter how small they may be. Positive reinforcement is very effective in helping you reach your goals. Those small rewards can help you keep going while you set new goals for yourself.

As a word of caution, however, remember not to overdo this. Choose your rewards wisely, such as they’re all going to be healthy for you. Never use this as an excuse for a free pass of ‘just one night of drinking.’ Chances are, you’re going to bring yourself back to square one.

Consider Abstinence As Your Best Approach

While taking it easy or slowly minimizing and reducing alcohol intake is still an effective method to curb your binge drinking habits, nothing beats abstinence. This means deciding to completely let go of alcohol.

The first few days are going to be the hardest. After all, your body has already gotten used to having alcohol in your system. But, in the long run, you’ll find that this is the best way to stay motivated and avoid giving in to any temptation.

Conclusion

Congratulations on making that decision to stop binge drinking. And, now that you’ve made it to the end of this article, you’ve also just positioned yourself one step closer towards achieving those goals. Remember that in a pursuit as big as quitting your binge drinking habit, staying motivated goes beyond simply changing your mindset. Rather it’s also about actively doing all the practical things to keep you right on track with your goals. Start today with keeping your motivation up, so you can successfully let go of your binge drinking habit.