Less Alcohol - January 2019 - One Day at a Time

It's a public holiday long weekend this weekend in Australia, and the Super Bowl is next weekend in the US.

Here are some Holiday Survival Tips from Hello Sunday Morning.

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Holiday Survival Guide
By: Briony Leo

Holidays can be one of the most challenging times when we are focusing on our health.
Most events like Christmas parties, holidays and family get-togethers involve a surplus of
food and drinks.
Often, the way we celebrate is to loosen our inhibitions and relax, through eating and
drinking to our hearts content.
Many members will describe dreading these occasions, as they may signal a slip back into a
lifestyle they are wanting to move away from.
Here are some tips to survive the holiday season and emerge in fantastic health.

1. Ensure you have some structured self care activities in place - whether this is daily
exercise, time alone, or time spent doing hobbies, this will help you to re-focus and
shift away.

2. Set some goals for the holidays - whether this is around health (exercise daily),
personal growth (reading all the books on your summer reading list), social (catching
up with friends you haven't seen/emailing them) or cleaning out drawers in
anticipation for the new year. The holidays can be an opportunity to prepare for a
great year, and reflect on the one just gone - a time to clear your mind.
A good question to ask yourself might be – when my holidays are over, what would I
have liked to have done? What would I have liked to spend my time on? In previous
years, what did I wish I had spent more/less time doing?

3. Drinking. - reflect on what you would like your drinking to look like over the holidays.
Would you like to be completely abstinent, or stick to a number of drinks each day?
It can help to set expectations early on with family, to help them to know whether to
offer you drinks or now.
It can also be good to have a back-up plan, in case triggers arise - eg. What am I
going to do if i have an argument with my siblings, and feel overwhelmed? What am
I going to tell my parents when they offer me a drink at lunch? Being prepared for
what is likely to happen is really helpful. Remember, lots of people don't drink during
the holidays, and at some point, they too had to have that conversation with their
family. Often if we say something like 'I'm focusing on my health at the moment, and
have noticed that alcohol is really setting me back in terms of fitness', or 'I'm not
drinking this year, as I want to feel refreshed after the holidays - but please don't let
that stop you'.
Sometimes our loved ones are worried that if we aren't drinking, we might judge
them or behave differently. It will be good to emphasise that you don't expect them
not to drink, but that at the moment you are not going to.

4. Some other ideas are: Have non-alcoholic drinks with you or available (see link to
nice non-alcoholic beverages here), plan to do something active after lunch or during
the day, that others can participate in (eg. Backyard cricket), offer to be designated
driver for supplies for lunch or to give people lifts, see if you can notice how it is
different not to be drinking during the holidays - what you miss, what the positive
changes are.

5. Be conscious of nutrition - often we can feel affected by what we are eating - reflect
on what kind of food you enjoy to eat, and what foods might support your health.
Some people find eating things like fruit, cheese and olives while others are
drinking, provides a tasty alternative and one that is satiating and satisfying. Others
find that filling up on seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables keeps them feeling good
all holidays and helps them keep their energy levels up.
6. Have some time each day to check in with your goals. This can be writing to your
health coach, posting and commenting on Daybreak, or doing some self-reflection
with a partner, your friends, or yourself. Holidays can sometimes feel strange and
challenging if you are not drinking for the first time, and it is good to acknowledge
that is really normal. It can be good to keep a list with you that outlines the 'pros'
and 'cons' if drinking - being conscious of the reasons to stay the same, as well as
reasons to change.

7. Be kind to yourself - understand that holidays and family get-together can be very
challenging, particularly if there has been conflict in the family. Sometimes we can
feel anxious or exhausted by being back in the family dynamic, and also without the
numbing effects of alcohol. The good news is that often it is alcohol that triggers
arguments and disagreements within families, and being sober will allow you to step
away from that and look at things differently. Sometimes alcohol can feel like it is
necessary to deal with family, but when we take it away or reduce it, often we find
family gatherings are less tedious.

8. Remember that change is a process – it is very normal to have off days, or times
when we miss our goals and feel we have gone backwards. What is important is that
you keep reflecting on what has happened, and try to make decisions that are the
best for you. It will be helpful to check in with the Daybreak community, as many
members will have similar goals and barriers to you. Being able to speak to others
who have found a strategy that works, or who are going through similar things, can
be very helpful.