Help with ‘growing pains’

Your best defence is to look after yourself. That’s because our body can deal with change better if it is well-maintained, supporting it to build physical resilience against these uncomfortable sensations.

Sleep

You’ve probably not had a decent night’s sleep in years thanks to alcohol, so here’s your chance to start putting that right. Your sleep may be hit-and-miss in the early days of change, but don’t let that stop you from getting yourself off to bed early. 

Remember, this isn’t about how many hours of sleep you get. It’s about looking after yourself and building strength. So:

• If you find it hard to sleep, reading is a great way to relax and unwind. It could be a new novel you’ve been meaning to read or maybe some additional ‘quit’ lit to help strengthen your resolve (it certainly worked for me. Still does!); or 
• if reading is not your thing, then why not use the time to catch up or check in with podcasts, music, meditation apps or box sets; and
• if you find you’re an early riser, then why not use this wonderful time of the day to reflect on successes so far and revel in the fact that your day is going to be hangover-free

Whatever you choose to do, make the bed and bedroom your favourite safe space. A place you can look forward to retiring to at the end of the day. Get your room ready, consider changing the sheets, or, if affordable, treat yourself to some new bedding or sleepwear. After all, how much is a new duvet cover? As little as four pints of beer!

Eat

Alcohol simultaneously increases your appetite and decreases your ability to make good food choices. Now, as tempting as it may be, it is not the time to consider any radical weight loss diets because:

• alcohol has been depleting vital nutrients from your body for years. Now is the time to replenish by eating well and eating sensibly.
• changing your drinking is tricky enough; why make it harder? There will be times when you feel like you are depriving yourself of a substance that you once perceived as providing joy or support – don’t deprive yourself of your favourite foods too!
• we’ve already discussed how a drop in sugar levels can triggerTriggers are situations and circumstances that lead to triggering thoughts around drinking. More an association with drinking. Being well nourished is one of our best lines of defence, particularly in the early days and weeks.
• alcohol has been numbing your senses, including your sense of taste. Take this opportunity to experiment with a new cuisine or rekindle a love for old favourites
• keeping your sugar levels stable will help keep you keep your mind stable too. Try to avoid the lows associated with low blood sugar.

So now’s the time to stock up, buy the things you enjoy, restock that spice rack, rekindle an old or spark a new love for cooking. And with the money no longer spent on drinks, you can treat yourself to more of what you fancy.

Hydration

We’ve already discussed dry mouth syndrome! So it makes sense to keep well hydrated throughout the day. From my experience, I found the length of drink and fizz to be valuable qualities to help scratch the itch. I also found AFAlcohol-free More substitutes were a suitable replacement that kept the ‘ceremony’ of drinking alive. A word of warning here – some people find AFAlcohol-free More drinks triggering, so my advice; be mindful around them to ensure AFAlcohol-free More drinking doesn’t tip over into old behaviours.

We should also remember that we have teetered on the edge of dehydration for years with our drinking. It’s time to give our bodies, not to mention our skin, the water its been crying out for.

Move

Your energy levels are about to return, and probably just at the moment, you realise you’ll have more time on your hands. So, if you feel you want to move, go for it. You may decide to do a triathlon, but if that doesn’t sound like you, getting out for a walk can be amazing. It’s a brilliant time to take in the fresh air, take a moment and take stock. But do try to remember to stop at least once, sit down and take in the view (something I often forget to do!). Walking is so good for the body and the soul.