Dr. Sarah Wakeman

Yeah, I think understanding first how alcohol fits in your life. And so people can do this at home by just keeping a drinking diary. So even just jotting down on your phone or in a notebook when you want to have a drink, sort of what activities you associate with drinking, what, you know, when you do have a drink, how many drinks you have over what time periods.

Yeah, I think understanding first how alcohol fits in your life. And so people can do this at home by just keeping a drinking diary. So even just jotting down on your phone or in a notebook when you want to have a drink, sort of what activities you associate with drinking, what, you know, when you do have a drink, how many drinks you have over what time periods.

It's sort of like keeping a food journal where it actually just makes you more mindful. Like, oh, I'm like triggered to want to snack on this thing because I'm feeling really upset about this fight I just had. You can identify that with alcohol, too. Like you mentioned this earlier, I'm really stressed out at the end of the day. And so I come home and want to reach for a glass of wine.

It's sort of like keeping a food journal where it actually just makes you more mindful. Like, oh, I'm like triggered to want to snack on this thing because I'm feeling really upset about this fight I just had. You can identify that with alcohol, too. Like you mentioned this earlier, I'm really stressed out at the end of the day. And so I come home and want to reach for a glass of wine.

It's sort of like keeping a food journal where it actually just makes you more mindful. Like, oh, I'm like triggered to want to snack on this thing because I'm feeling really upset about this fight I just had. You can identify that with alcohol, too. Like you mentioned this earlier, I'm really stressed out at the end of the day. And so I come home and want to reach for a glass of wine.

Understanding sort of how alcohol fits in your life is an important first step. And then figuring out what are the goals you're working on right now. And that could change over time.

Understanding sort of how alcohol fits in your life is an important first step. And then figuring out what are the goals you're working on right now. And that could change over time.

Understanding sort of how alcohol fits in your life is an important first step. And then figuring out what are the goals you're working on right now. And that could change over time.

But again, if your goal is something related to fitness or wellness or health, you may find after learning more about alcohol and the role it plays in your life that actually you want to change how much you're drinking. And so then you have your why. My why is I'm training for a marathon and I found that when I drink, I have a hard time waking up and going for my long runs.

But again, if your goal is something related to fitness or wellness or health, you may find after learning more about alcohol and the role it plays in your life that actually you want to change how much you're drinking. And so then you have your why. My why is I'm training for a marathon and I found that when I drink, I have a hard time waking up and going for my long runs.

But again, if your goal is something related to fitness or wellness or health, you may find after learning more about alcohol and the role it plays in your life that actually you want to change how much you're drinking. And so then you have your why. My why is I'm training for a marathon and I found that when I drink, I have a hard time waking up and going for my long runs.

And so I'm only going to drink on this day and I'm going to keep it to this amount. So it's very specific and that's important for behavior change. If you make this broad sort of general goal of I'm never going to drink again because alcohol is bad, you're probably not going to do it because that's hard and it doesn't really relate to you as a human.

And so I'm only going to drink on this day and I'm going to keep it to this amount. So it's very specific and that's important for behavior change. If you make this broad sort of general goal of I'm never going to drink again because alcohol is bad, you're probably not going to do it because that's hard and it doesn't really relate to you as a human.

And so I'm only going to drink on this day and I'm going to keep it to this amount. So it's very specific and that's important for behavior change. If you make this broad sort of general goal of I'm never going to drink again because alcohol is bad, you're probably not going to do it because that's hard and it doesn't really relate to you as a human.

So as much as you can make it specific, measurable, time bound. So it's like the next three weeks, I'm going to try this and then I'm going to reassess. That makes it much easier to actually make change and stick to it over time.

So as much as you can make it specific, measurable, time bound. So it's like the next three weeks, I'm going to try this and then I'm going to reassess. That makes it much easier to actually make change and stick to it over time.

So as much as you can make it specific, measurable, time bound. So it's like the next three weeks, I'm going to try this and then I'm going to reassess. That makes it much easier to actually make change and stick to it over time.

Exactly. And there's lots of tips out there, but you want to make it as easy as possible for yourself. So if your goal is to cut back on drinking, you don't want to have a week where you're packed with going out to happy hour with people. You want to really set yourself up for success. So organize your social activities around non-drinking activities.

Exactly. And there's lots of tips out there, but you want to make it as easy as possible for yourself. So if your goal is to cut back on drinking, you don't want to have a week where you're packed with going out to happy hour with people. You want to really set yourself up for success. So organize your social activities around non-drinking activities.

Exactly. And there's lots of tips out there, but you want to make it as easy as possible for yourself. So if your goal is to cut back on drinking, you don't want to have a week where you're packed with going out to happy hour with people. You want to really set yourself up for success. So organize your social activities around non-drinking activities.