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Dry January is a health trend that more and more people all over the world are embracing every single year. Dry January is very positive as many studies have shown that abstinence from alcohol, even in the short term, is great for improving health. Dry January is also a great opportunity for you to evaluate your relationship with alcohol and gives you the opportunity to make some health changes that you can take forward with you even after the month of January is over.

While it’s a good idea to embrace dry January, if you regularly struggle with substances, it’s a good idea to try to continue avoiding alcohol even after the Dry January month is over. Below, we will go over some of the best ways to remain sober after dry January is over.

Make Some Future Goals

This may seem obvious; however, this is very important. When planning for the months after January, it’s important to set some realistic expectations for yourself. Speak to your family and friends about your desire to remain sober so that you can get the support you need when you need it.

It’s a good idea to write down your goals or post them somewhere so that you’ve got a constant reminder of what you intend to do moving forward.

It’s a good idea to tell people what you plan on doing. Speaking your goals out loud will give you more motivation to actually stick to those goals. Speaking out loud about your goals will also increase your chances of following through with them.

Avoid Your Usual Triggers

Whether you enjoy a nice glass of wine on a Friday evening or like to drink a beer while watching football, there are many things that can be a trigger. People will have particular locations, times, and situations that they associate with having a drink and these are known as triggers.

In order to cut down or stop drinking, it is important that you firstly understand what your particular triggers are and then learn how to avoid these. However, you shouldn’t completely close yourself off. Don’t stop watching football with your friends, for example. Instead, you want to learn how to enjoy those things without relying on alcohol. If your drinking is more serious, an alcohol intervention may be required to help you attempt sobriety.

Plan For Your Urges and Cravings

If you’ve made a plan for what you’re going to do, it’s not always going to be easy to stick to it. There will be days when you have urges and cravings and it’s important that you plan for these. You will need to come up with some actions that you can take to overcome these urges and cravings.

You need to learn how to ride out those urges and cravings. There are some simple things you can do to try to alleviate your urges and cravings. For example, a quick change of scenery can make a difference. Try going for a walk or spend some time with a friend. Some small changes in your environment can help to cause a distraction and allow you to get your mind off drinking for long enough to fight off the urges and cravings.

Find Some Alternatives

If you are using alcohol as a way of relaxing or as a coping mechanism, it would be worth trying to find a new way of doing that. One of the best things you can do for this is exercising. Exercising is great for everything. This is definitely something that you should consider trying to help you keep away from the drinking.

When you are quitting drinking, it is also a great time to reconnect with some of your other hobbies and interests. When you have more time and money that would usually be spent on alcohol, you can instead use this time and money on things that you enjoy or things that you’re passionate about. Consider some things that you used to enjoy doing and try to bring some of those activities back into your life.

Never Be Too Hard On Yourself

It can be very difficult to stay sober in the long term. While it is very important to work on your recovery journey in the long term, it’s also important that you avoid being too hard on yourself. You are never a failure if you have a bad day or if you feel like you’re struggling with any of the new changes you’re making.

Instead of focusing on feeling bad when you make a mistake, instead, stop and remember all the things you’ve done right. Also, take some time to see what might have landing you in that mistake. That way, you can reduce any risks of it happening again in the future. Consider attending an AA meeting and sharing your experiences with others. Connecting with others is a great way for you to understand your journey better and remain motivated in your journey.

Get Help You Need at a Professional Drug and Alcohol Rehab Centre

If you are struggling with remaining sober and you think you may have a problem with substances, it may be time for you to consider getting some professional help. Professional help at a drug and alcohol rehab centre is the best and most successful way for you to overcome an addiction to alcohol.

It is important to remember that alcohol addictions are a progressive disease. This means that they will only get worse and worse over time the longer you leave them untreated. With this in mind, it’s important to reach out for the help you need as soon as you realise there is a problem present.

Get in touch with our team of addiction specialists today. We are here to help you and we will be happy to answer any questions that you may have and give you all of the valuable advice you need to get started on your recovery journey today. Just one simple phone call could be enough to completely change your life for the better – call today on +44 (0) 800 012 6006.