3448: [Part 2] How I Finally Cut Back on Drinking (+ Tips To Get You There, Too) by Kylee of A Blue Sky Mind on Alcohol Reduction

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[00:00:59] How I finally cut back on drinking. Plus, tips to get you there too. Part 2 by Kylie of TheBlueSkyMind.com And I'm Dr. Neal Malik. Hey there and welcome back to Optimal Health Daily, where I read you some of the most popular health and fitness articles online. And always with a little bit of my commentary at the end. Now, for a lot more blogs being narrated for you, just search for Optimal Living Daily wherever you're listening to this.

[00:01:26] Now, today's episode is part 2 of a longer post. If you missed part 1, then I'd recommend going back and listening to that episode first. But if you're all caught up, let's jump right in and hear part 2 and continue optimizing your life. How I finally cut back on drinking. Plus, tips to get you there too. Part 2 by Kylie of TheBlueSkyMind.com

[00:01:56] Partner There's also the matter of who you choose to partner with. Out of college, I was with two partners who had troubling relationships with alcohol. Today, I'm with someone who got over the party scene in high school and is more interested in their health than anything alcohol has to offer. Now that we live together, the importance of that influence on my daily habits and decisions cannot be overstated. Having a built-in partner and accountability buddy for things like dry January

[00:02:25] makes going booze-free so much easier than going it alone. Digital Spaces It has surprised me how much it helps my pack animal brain to know that there's a massive global community of sober curious individuals, even if I'll never meet them in real life. In particular, I've really liked following the hashtag sober curious feed on Instagram and popping into the anonymous community forum in the Reframe app.

[00:02:51] In both, I've witnessed people sharing deeply personal hardships and milestones in their alcohol recovery journey and other people meeting them with authentic support and kindness of the likes I've never witnessed on the internet. Hearing how other people have shifted their beliefs and behaviors around alcohol is really moving and inspiring. Expose yourself to these communities if you can. The too-long-didn't-listen version See if you can enlist the closest people around you to a new approach to alcohol.

[00:03:21] If not, bolster your community with more like-minded friends. You are the sum of the five people you spend the most time with. 5. Find alternatives to drinking Not go out on Friday and Saturday night? I couldn't wrap my head around the thought five years ago. Occasionally, I'd relish the opportunity to stay in with my partner or best friend, especially if I was hungover from the night before.

[00:03:46] But snipping the weekend bar circuit for my routine was completely unthinkable. Flash forward to today, where I can't remember the last time I went out in my weekly routine. Instead of meeting up with friends at a pre-game or a bar, I make plans at The Center SF, a yoga studio slash tea house slash event space in San Francisco dedicated to alcohol-free gatherings. These spaces are popping up all over major cities in the US.

[00:04:14] With friends, I've gone to their open mic night, group meditation, and an ecstatic dance party. On my own, I've organized a non-alcoholic beverage tasting party and started making more mocktails at home. If you're out at a bar, ordering a soda water with bitters and lime is my fail-proof routine. Some other ideas. Take a breathwork class. Plan an outdoorsy vacation to a national park instead of a foodie trip to a city or wine country.

[00:04:42] Join a yoga studio and become part of its community. Try different meditation apps until you find one that's your vibe. Treat yourself to a massage or a manicure instead of a glass of wine. Meet up with friends at the park instead of the bar. It's well within your power to seek out activities and experiences that aren't centered on alcohol. It just requires a little intention and forethought. The too-long, didn't-listen version.

[00:05:10] Alcohol isn't the only way to have fun and celebrate the richness of life. Seek out alcohol-free spaces and activities. Swap a boozy beverage for a mocktail. And six, invest in a life you don't need to escape from. For me, drinking was compelling from day one because it provided temporary relief from the chaotic inner life of being a teenager. I was deeply insecure.

[00:05:37] To be clear, I've never had a bad life, but I haven't always had an excellent relationship with myself. And I now believe the nature of my inner life to be an important factor in my propensity to drink. One framework that's helped me craft a full and satisfying life is the PERMA-V model. It's foundational in the positive psychology world and one that I'm writing about monthly in a newsletter called Blue Sky 5. Each letter stands for an important aspect of human flourishing.

[00:06:07] Here are some of the ways I regularly meet my PERMA needs today. P. Positive emotion Candles, ice cream, massages, funny TikTok videos, and snuggles. E. Engagement Reading, writing, tennis, dance, and cooking R. Relationships Asking deep questions and cultivating intentional community M. Meaning Blogging, journaling, therapy, life coaching, and meditation

[00:06:37] A. Accomplishment Work, publishing new content, courses, and setting and achieving goals And V. Vitality Quality sleep, whole foods, daily movement, and stress reduction practices Another important angle to consider here is what's not working for you. Whitaker shared a compelling quote from author Alan Carr in which he suggests that Quote, everything we can do drunk, we can also do sober.

[00:07:07] And that we don't have fun because of alcohol, we have fun because of what we are doing and who we are with. End quote Her takeaway? If we need to drink to do something, we probably shouldn't be doing it anyway. The too-long-didn't-listen version Determine the things that bring you pleasure, comfort, and joy without alcohol And focus on your own flourishing Ask yourself what you'd stop doing in your life if you couldn't drink while doing it

[00:07:35] Then maybe just stop doing it In closing I'm not sober But I feel like a veil has been lifted on my relationship with alcohol I no longer blindly accept that More alcohol is always better Or that With alcohol is better than without I follow sober people and hashtag sober curious on social And regularly read about its negative effects Yet still imbibe socially These days I'm more likely to have 2-3 drinks 2-3 nights a week

[00:08:05] Sure, that's still over what's considered healthy But I'm aware of this risk And generally decreasing my consumption year after year I strive for no more than 7 drinks per week But I don't beat myself up if I have more I'm only human And alcohol is a socially supported drug after all There are things I'm still working on I still grapple with the deeply ingrained belief That drinking and partying equals fun A big part of the journey I'm now on

[00:08:34] Is retraining myself to fully believe that I can have a rich and whole life Without going out culture You don't have to go cold turkey either In another gem Author Holly Whitaker advises us to Quote Know the difference between things that might not be great for you And the things that take you down and keep you stuck And bring out your worst And get in the way of your best life End quote For me, my prior drinking habits

[00:09:02] Left me with hangovers that racked my body and anxiety So intensely I could feel the icy hot heat of it Thrum through my body for hours Before getting out of bed in the morning Now I enjoy a few drinks I might not get the best sleep of my life And I might get a canker sore from the acidity of too much wine But I don't do or say things I regret There's a big difference Start by practicing sobriety As if you're building a new muscle Turn down a third drink at dinner

[00:09:32] Or happy hour this week Opt for a mocktail every other round Try spending a Friday night out totally sober These aren't meant to be punishments Just curious learning opportunities To start pushing your self-concept of what's possible I predict that alcohol is headed the way of cigarettes Already, the same Gallup poll I mentioned earlier Is showing that rates of total abstinence from alcohol are increasing And the number of drinks consumed per week By those who do imbibe

[00:10:02] Is shrinking as well With more people practicing sobriety Across every social demographic There's never been a better time To investigate your own relationship with alcohol You just listened to part 2 of the post titled How I Finally Cut Back on Drinking Plus Tips to Get You There Too By Kylie of AblueskyMind.com And I'll be right back with my commentary

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[00:11:59] Dr. Neal Malik here with my commentary So remember on yesterday's episode During my commentary I left you hanging about Why there are different Drinking recommendations For men and women Well I'll tell you First though Let's review what drinking In moderation Actually means For women One drink per day Is considered drinking In moderation An example of this Would be One 12 ounce beer Or Five to six ounces Of wine Would also be considered

[00:12:28] One drink If we're talking about Hard liquor Like whiskey or gin One and a half ounces Or about a shot Of hard liquor Would be considered One drink For men Two drinks per day Is considered drinking In moderation So men can have Two 12 ounce beers In a day Or A five to six ounce Glass of wine And one 12 ounce beer Or a shot of hard liquor And one 12 ounce beer You get the idea So why is drinking

[00:12:58] In moderation Different for men And women It's because men Have higher levels Of a very specific Compound In their bodies This compound Is called Alcohol dehydrogenase Now to get really specific Alcohol dehydrogenase Is what's called An enzyme The function of enzymes Is to speed up Reactions And transform One substance Into another So in this case Alcohol dehydrogenase Transforms alcohol

[00:13:26] Into smaller parts This helps the body Remove alcohol And it turns out That men have Higher levels Of this specific enzyme Alcohol dehydrogenase That means Men break down Alcohol And are able To remove alcohol From their bodies More quickly Than women What this means For women Is that by having Lower levels Of this enzyme Alcohol dehydrogenase Alcohol And the byproducts Of alcohol

[00:13:56] Sits around In their bodies For a longer period Of time And this is not A good thing We see that When these alcohol Byproducts Sit in the body They start to interact With the DNA In certain cells Which can then Cause damage To those cells In fact When women Consume more than One drink per day On average The risk for breast cancer Increases significantly So all of this to say That as today's author Kylie said

[00:14:24] Alcohol isn't the only way To have fun And celebrates life's pleasures Swapping just one Alcoholic beverage For a mocktail Or sparkling water Could make a huge difference When it comes to Our overall health All right That'll do it for today Thank you so much For coming back To listen every day Thank you for sharing The show with someone I hope you're having A great start to your week And I'll see you back here Tomorrow Where your optimal life Awaits How to do it for today I'll see you back here I'll see you back here I'll see you back here