The five steps on my path to giving up alcohol

These weren’t by the way ‘exact’ steps. My path was winding. There was no exact blueprint to follow. But here’s what worked.

Advice #1.

Do a ‘dry’ month, or two-to-three dry weeks. Do not overanalyze why you’re doing it. Do not have high expectations. Do not set goals. You’re not giving up anything. You’re experimenting.

Why experiment? Well, why not? We try new habits, we detox, we try to lose weight, and we experiment with our nutrition. Going dry for a few weeks won’t change your life but it might give you a new perspective and a little confidence — that you can. I wasn’t addicted but I had a habit. I was pleased to find out that I felt fine interrupting my decades-long habit of having a few drinks in the evening. The first several evenings felt unusual and I did want to reach out for my cold Chardonnay but after three or four days I started to detach from my habit.

Resume drinking as you wish after your dry period. Remember you’re not setting any ambitious goals. You’re experimenting. You’re discovering yourself and maybe re-inventing just a little.

Go dry again after several weeks or months. Have several of these stretches over the course of a year. You’ll reduce your drinking substantially without having set hard goals. Let’s say you do three stretches that total up to two months. Two months of alcohol abstinence is actually meaningful, even if spread out, and will let you see your habits and identity from a new perspective.