Health

Did You Know You Can Relax Without Alcohol? Here’s How to Do It

Too many people turn to alcohol to unwind, and this occasional habit turns south over time. Before long, they become addicted and don’t know how to get help. The good news is that you can relax without alcohol. It’s important to have a plan and options for when you feel overwhelmed so that your first choice isn’t a can of beer or a glass of wine. Here are some options:

Learn to Set Healthy Boundaries

To relax without alcohol, you must learn how to set healthy boundaries. This can mean setting boundaries with yourself and learning to set them with others. It can mean learning to say no when your schedule is already booked or simply because you don’t want to do the thing you are being asked. It can mean setting the intention that you will only drink once a week on Fridays, just a glass or two. Some people find it hard to say no and are in stressful situations.

Get in Tune With Your Body

What happens in your body when you feel stressed? Is it tense? Is it hurting? Hone in on what you think when you are stressed. Learn some deep breathing exercises and some body movements that can help you relax more easily and without the assistance of alcohol. The more often you do this practice, the more easily you’ll be able to unwind after a hard day.

Try Meditation – There Are Different Practices

Meditation is an ancient practice that has been used for thousands of years. There are many different types of meditation, but they all focus on helping you relax, calm your mind and body, and achieve peace. Meditation can help with stress relief by reducing cortisol levels in the brain. It can also improve your mood by increasing serotonin production in the body. Many people learn meditative practices to help reduce anxiety.

Take up Yoga or Other Gentle Exercise

Yoga is a great way to relax and calm your mind. The gentle movements that Yoga and other exercises provide can help your body relax and calm your nervous system. You can do it at home or in a class with friends or family. You can even take yoga classes with kids. It’s important to find a form of exercise that suits you and your lifestyle because the more you move, the better you feel.

Spend Time With Friends

Spending time with friends is important and can be a relaxing experience. Good friendships help you stay relaxed and give you fun things to do. Make sure you find friends you can go out with who don’t always drink if you’re trying to avoid alcohol. Friends give you someone to talk to when you feel down or stressed out. When you have a support system, you can sometimes rely on them to provide clarity when tough situations arise.

Help Others

When you’re helping others, you are not focused on yourself. Helping others is a great way to relax. It makes you feel good knowing your time is spent doing something meaningful. It can also give you a better perspective when you help people with different experiences. You can help others in many ways, such as by volunteering. Doing this can even help you make new friends who care about the same things as you do.

Improve Your Sleep Habits

If you want to relax more, then sleep better regularly. You can do this by keeping your bedroom cool and dark and turning off electronic devices early in the evening. You may even consider getting earplugs to help dampen the sounds in your bedroom.  

Ask for Help When Needed

Relaxing can be hard when you have much to do at home. It’s okay to ask for help. Whether the service is from family or friends with cleaning and cooking or the service is from a mental health professional, it’s okay to ask. Suppose you’re struggling with alcohol addiction, making it hard to function. In that case, you can find more info on asking for help on many great resources for overcoming addiction online, including websites for rehab facilities.

Dorothy R. Ferry

Coffee trailblazer. Unapologetic student. Freelance communicator. Travel nerd. Music fan. Spoke at an international conference about donating magma for farmers. Had some great experience promoting saliva on the black market. Spent 2002-2009 lecturing about basketballs in Pensacola, FL. In 2009 I was writing about Magic 8-Balls in Miami, FL. Earned praised for my work importing crayon art in Hanford, CA. At the moment I'm managing sausage in West Palm Beach, FL.

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