How to Cut Back Drinking Alcohol

If you are like some people who may drink alcohol a little more than they should, but not to the extent of having the debilitating effects of full-blown alcoholism, you may be wondering how to simply and quickly cut back drinking before things take a turn for the worse. You probably already recognize that you SHOULD cut back, and you likely already have plenty of good, solid reasons to quit drinking alcohol that have led you to this article. Plus, since you haven't yet fully experienced the serious negative consequences of constant alcohol abuse, you realize that NOW is the time to act and do something about a problem before it gets out of control.

The good news is that there IS something you can do quickly and effortlessly, and it will dramatically reduce your drinking so that you CAN feel healthier and happier for years to come. It will also help you feel that you've taken a concrete step toward being more in control of your environment, AND it will have an immediate, positive impact on your health - while simultaneously saving you a ton of money! Not a bad combination, is it?

Do You Keep Alcohol at Home or Work?

It's hard to miss those sale signs and advertisements for alcohol, especially if you often pass a liquor store or bar. They hard to miss, since a lot of areas of the country now have liquor stores attached or adjacent to the local food store (sure, that's a healthy choice!) You may even have fallen into the habit of purchasing a case of wine or beer (or other liquor) to keep at home or work in order to "save" a few extra bucks. Or, maybe because you didn't want to bother running out to the store later on if you had company over. Or, maybe you just like having a bottle of wine or a six pack of beer around the house "if" you feel like drinking later on.

Of course, what usually happened when you did this is that you ended drinking (or drinking more than you would normally) simply because it was there. It was the easy choice. The truth is that you made it EASIER for yourself to drink alcohol (and drink too much) because you didn't have to run to a liquor store to buy it. You have made for yourself an environment that is full of contradictions: Yes, you WANT to be healthier. Yes, you WANT to cut back on drinking. And yes, you WANT to have more money. But you are SURROUNDING yourself with things that HAVE TO lead to the OPPOSITE result.

You are acting in much the same way as an overweight person who inwardly desires to lose weight and be healthier, but keeps his or her cabinet and refrigerator stocked with junk food. You simply are NOT going to get the result you want if you constantly surround yourself with things that lead in the OPPOSITE direction. It will be next to impossible for you to feel healthier and happier - and more in control of your life - as long as you make it EASY and CONVENIENT to drink alcohol.

Solution: Make Your Home and Work Environments "Alcohol Free Zones"

The easiest and quickest way to cut back drinking alcohol is to separate your social life outside in the world (where you may choose to drink alcohol) from your private life in your home (where you focus on your health, your family, etc) and your work environment (where you focus on your financial health and security).

This requires you to make your home and work "alcohol free zones" where you NEVER store alcohol for future consumption. Your home and work environments must become OFF LIMITS to alcohol. It also helps eliminate one of the two BIG mistakes that many alcoholics make. Take a moment to read Get Sober by Avoiding These 2 Mistakes, if you haven't already.

Why This Works

We humans can be lazy to an extreme, and we often take the path of least resistance. As has been often said, if making a million bucks was easy then EVERYONE would be a millionaire! And, you can say the same thing about being healthy, or a great musician, or a business leader, or anything else of value. If it's hard to do, then we are less likely to do it. Give us an easy path, however, and 99% of the time that's where we go.

The key here is to make it EASY to not drink, EASY to stay sober, and EASY to feel healthy. And when you stop keeping alcohol around your home and office you make it HARDER to drink and EASIER to be healthy. To put it in plain English, don't underestimate the power of out-of-sight, out-of-mind!

This is not to say that there won't be times when you'll still be tempted to run out to the store to purchase an alcoholic beverage. But by making it a less CONVENIENT to drink, you are thereby making it easier to spend another day clear headed and sober. And you'll guarantee yourself another day of waking up feeling good about yourself and your life.

So, go ahead and take the easy road. But, don't let that easy road be filled with the debilitating effects of alcohol abuse. Instead, let the easy road be ALCOHOL FREE, and filled with healthy alternatives which inevitably lead to you having a happier, more successful, and immensely more satisfying life.

Make it EASY to be healthy and happy, and that's exactly what will happen to you.