Your recent DUI left you with more than feelings of embarrassment, you also feel concerned about your drinking habits. You would hesitate to call yourself an alcoholic, but you recognize the negative impact alcohol has on your life. How do you get a handle on your indulgence when you do not feel an intervention or recovery clinic is the way to go?
Psychology Today offers several options to help you curb your drinking at home. See if these tips can keep you from having another unfortunate run-in with the law.
Practice mindfulness
Maybe you drink because you need to cope with feelings like anxiety, depression and fear. By practicing mindfulness when such feelings bubble to the surface rather than drinking, you can develop a healthy coping strategy. Mindfulness centers on staying rooted in the present moment rather than allowing your mind to wander.
Educate yourself
Sit down and explore why you struggle to regulate your drinking. Maybe you have heavy-drinking friends who pressure you into having “one more drink.” Or perhaps you feel you need a drink to deal with the stress of work or your hardship. Whatever the trigger, see if you can discern a better way to respond to it.
Take a sobriety challenge
With a sobriety challenge, you refrain from drinking for a specific period. The idea is to familiarize yourself with the reality of your drinking habits, so you can better determine whether you need professional treatment. If you cannot abstain from drinking during the challenge, consider professional alcohol treatment.
It is good to work on and examine your drinking habits. These tips may help considerably with improving your life and helping you learn more about yourself.
