30 Day Alcohol Free Challenges
3 REASONS TO GO CAREFULLY WITH 30 DAY CHALLENGES
It's February. And with that comes Feb Fast. The first 30 day alcohol free challenge of the year, and for some people it’s a good follow on to their New Year’s resolution to cut down or quit drinking alcohol. Yes, for some people.
For other people, like those of us who know we are drinking too much, are questioning our drinking habits or who are just flat out trying to keep our lives together because of our drinking, it’s difficult and not such a good idea.
Let’s talk about the dangers I see in challenges like Feb Fast, Dry July and Sober October, to name just a few. You know, the ones where you are asked to give up alcohol for 30 days to raise money for a good cause. And I'm absolutely not discounting the fact that it's fabulous to give up drinking alcohol for 30 days. It is absolutely a good thing to raise much needed money for a cause you feel strongly about if it is done safely, and with a plan.
But I have some really big concerns about unsupported alcohol-free challenges because in my work in helping people who have a problematic relationship with alcohol, I see way too often that people are going into these challenges completely unprepared and without a plan or the tools to keep them safe and supported as they go through the month.
Firstly, it can be really dangerous to give up alcohol abruptly. If you are drinking at a high level, consuming alcohol every day, if you've been drinking excessively for a long time, or you have other health factors going on, it can be really dangerous to your physical health to quit suddenly. And for some, even life threatening.
If you recognise yourself in any of these categories, it’s really important to work with your GP or your health care professional while you're quitting the booze. And if you can’t do that or don’t want to, I encourage you to get in touch with Clean Slate Clinic and talk to them about exploring an at home supervised detox. Make sure you are safe before quitting alcohol abruptly, whether you are doing a challenge or not.
Secondly, quitting alcohol for the long term is not easy. If it were, we would all be over our cultural obsession and our addiction to alcohol in 30 days and that would be the end of that. Sadly, that’s not the case and changing our behaviour takes time, support, hard work and a really good plan.
Many people can give up alcohol for 30 days using willpower alone. But willpower is like a muscle and eventually it gets tired and gives up. And what happens then? You press the stuff it button and go back to drinking in the same way you did before the challenge, or in so many cases, drink even more. Yes, you gave up alcohol for 30 days and you are probably sleeping better, have more energy and are feeling super human, but that’s where a false sense of security slips in and wham, you are back on the booze again. Because you haven’t done the work around how you think and feel about alcohol and before you know it you are back on the alcohol merry-go-round of Day 1’s yet again. By following a structured program you will arm yourself with all the tools and tactics you need to complete the challenge and change your behaviour for the long term.
And finally, my last concern is one that is close to my heart. I went through plenty of 30 day alcohol challenges in my time, and all it ever did was reinforce the crazy idea I had in my head that I didn’t actually have a problem with alcohol. I would tell myself that I gave up for 30 days, so surely I’m not ‘one of those people’. I thought that if I could quit for 30 days I didn’t have a problem with alcohol. And I hear this time and time again from people who eventually come to me, realising that they can’t change their relationship with alcohol alone, or on a wing and a prayer with some willpower thrown in.
So if you do decide to do a 30 day alcohol free challenge to raise funds and awareness for your favourite cause, follow this simple plan before your start:
- Check in with your GP or health professional to make sure you are safe to participate.
- Get a structured program in place, and stick to it. You can join the Quit Drinking program and do the alcohol free challenge at the same time. Then it’s a win win!
- Get curious about your relationship with alcohol, reach out for help and support if you need to. I’m sure you’ve been drinking for longer than a month, so it’s going to take a bit longer than 30 days to change a lifetime habit.
If this raises any concerns for you, or you would like to talk to me please jump on a call with me and let’s figure out a plan for you going forward.
Noelene x