Its that time of year again.

Christmas can be a real test for those of us that have given up something or are struggling to gain control. Or maybe you’re someone that struggles to regulate your intake of anything.

Depending on what your poison is will depend on how difficult this festive season might be.

Alcohol is probably the top one, it’s pretty much everywhere anyway, but something happens at Christmas that seems to make alcohol multiply like I have never seen before or is it just me!!

Food and sugar is another hard one, the whole thing is about food. What is it that happens to an office on the run up to Christmas it seem to turn into a junk food feeding ground, pastries, cakes, chocolate you name it its available in the bucket load.

So what can you do if you are alcohol free, attempting moderation or even just want to be healthy. 

Here are my 10 tips for surviving the festive season.

1. Remember there are no rules you don’t have to fit in with everyone...

If you are struggling, feeling depressed, low, anxious, not sleeping well, have an overactive brain, roller coaster emotions, the list goes on. Please, take a break from drinking alcohol.

Effects of alcohol on the brain

If you drink alcohol regularly, it will have an effect on you, your physical health or most likely your mental health at some point. The effects of alcohol on the brain have been well documented.

Let's take sleep on its own.  Alcohol impacts on your ability to get good quality sleep.  If you are tired and not sleeping properly this alone will affect your emotional health.

Do you drink regularly? Could you cut down? Does it affect your sleep?   When was the last time you took a break from alcohol?

First things first, take a break; 3 months at least.  Then re-assess, see how you feel.  Most people will feel better within the first few weeks.  While you are taking a break, sleep, be nice to yourself, take it easy, eat healthy food, do...

I know this is going to be controversial, but it’s ok, I am ready for it. I am writing this because essentially, I want you to be happy, it’s about quality of life, we only have one life. So please don’t waste it giving yourself a hard time or being wasted.

Now this blog isn’t for everyone, so be honest. How much alcohol is too much? You have to be honest with yourself when answering this question.f you are someone that can’t stop once they have 1 drink, then this isn’t for you. If you are someone that puts themselves and others at risk when they drink, this isn’t for you. If you are someone that has a mental health issue or any physical health problem’s, then this isn’t for you. 

Are you drinking too much? Are you drinking more than you would like?

You can drink less and feel better. You can let go of that endless internal dialogue. Beating yourself up over why you can’t do the year alcohol free.

Please...

 Maybe it's your first time, second time, it doesn’t matter. But you have just done 30 days or so without alcohol, woohoo, go you.  Even if you didn’t manage it 100%, if you did most of it that’s pretty good.

Hopefully you feel good; really good.  You are sleeping better, you look better, feel better, hell, people have even noticed. There is something different about you.  Glowing skin, it's easier to work out, your working day is so much easier, there's no more days wasted with hangovers, the list goes on. But the bottom line is you feel happier, healthier and life is easier.  Who wouldn’t want that?  It's like a magic pill in reverse. 

So, if you feel that good why would you go back to drinking?

Obviously, I would love it if you continued being alcohol free, given that you feel great why wouldn’t you want more of that?  Come on, tell me why you want to feel tired, low, anxious, embarrassed, sluggish, puffy and...

I had one of those classic moments in my life where everything goes wrong and you find yourself exactly where you don’t want to be. 

Even though it was the worst day of my life it also turned out to be one of the best; although I didn’t know it at the time. 

Alcohol was a huge factor in what was going wrong for me.  Well I am not saying it was alcohol’s fault, obviously it was 100% my responsibility, however when I stopped drinking it made a huge difference to my life.

A lot of people drink, a lot of people drink too much, and mostly people don’t seem to think this is an issue.  However, I want to put it to you a different way. Try this: take a break from alcohol, 30 days or maybe 90 days.  It doesn’t have to be a huge amount of time, then see what the difference is and what the benefits of not drinking alcohol are.  I guarantee you, your life will improve. 

The benefits of giving up alcohol

On a simple, logical level,...

Is alcohol stopping you from getting that promotion?

At last count a study said that there are 8-14 million working days lost a year due to our alcohol use.  That equates to £7 billion due to lost productivity through unemployment and sickness.

http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg240.pdf  Dont mix it a guide for employers.

That’s a crazy amount of money and days lost if you are an employer.

However it’s not surprising as we are a nation of drinkers. Approximately 9 million people drink over the recommended guidelines; that’s the population of London.

Some of us will remember a time (it may still be happening in some work places) when alcohol was a lubricant to business deals; a lunchtime meeting with wine, an early evening with scotch.  We like a drink and there is nothing wrong with that (in moderation), as long as it’s not causing you any problems.

Some questions for you.

·         Do you drink...

 Yes, it’s a bit of a thing at the moment. This stopping drinking, taking a break lark.  Which I have to say I love.  I am not jumping on the bandwagon, I have been on it for years.  But I am super excited that it's starting to become a thing.

I am not a kill joy, or evangelical at all, I just want everyone to take a break and see how they feel, like an experiment.  If you want to go back to drinking after say, a 3 month's break you crack on. I just want you to know, to experience it.

In a world where we are talking about mental health, self-esteem, anxiety and depression, it’s a no brainer. Alcohol is going to make all these things worse.  I am not making it up, it’s a fact, alcohol is a drug, the side effects of which are anxiety and depression.  If emotions, how you feel about yourself, self-esteem, anxiety, depression, anything like that is an issue for you, seriously please take a break from drinking.  You will feel...

Yes, it is possible.  Trust me - I do it pretty much 99% of the time.

This can be one of the biggest worries for people when they decide to take a break, or even stop, drinking.

You’ve made the decision you want to stop drinking, you’ve had enough of the hangovers, feeling sick and tired, spending too much money. Whatever the reason, you are clear you are ready.

That’s great. You feel able to deal with work colleagues, even with your friends and family.

But you are single and you want to meet someone.  Feeling great, with your new healthy hangover- free life and ready to start dating.

Most people go on a first date in a bar and order an alcoholic drink.  There are so many reasons why we do this.  Habit, its just what you always do when you are on a date, you are in a bar, you are so nervous its ridiculous, there are lots of reasons.

If you have a drink you relax, but sometimes you drink the first drink too fast, then have another one and drink a...

There are some common mistakes people make when they are starting to reduce, take a break or stop drinking or doing drugs.

These are the 3 biggest ones that I see. Read this and then make sure you apply yourself in these areas to give yourself the best chance:

1.       They don’t do anything.

By this I mean, they want to reduce, take a break or stop. It doesn’t matter what it is, but they expect it to just happen. They may just decide they want to do it and actually manage to stop for a few days or a couple of weeks.  But you stand a much better chance if you take positive steps towards your goal by doing something different than you have done before. Educate yourself: read books, read blogs, learn from others, exercise, eat healthy food, talk to people, watch videos, listen to podcasts, get a hobby, anything. Just do something and keep doing somethings.  Which leads me on nicely to number 2.

...

If you have been a party girl for a significant time, going alcohol free can seem a bit daunting.

Initially you probably take a break from alcohol because you need to, because you feel like you are drinking too much, and you have found yourself asking questions like "I drink a bottle of wine every night am I an alcoholic?". Or you feel shit, sick of the hangovers, spending way too much money, the feelings of not quite remembering what happened, embarrassment, the wasted days, the list goes on.  So, you are fired up, motivated, you can do a month and you feel great.

I have been drinking too much and I want to stop. What next?

If you are used to going out every weekend and having a fully booked social calendar; this can feel like a big lifestyle change.

I know, I have been there.  Always a party to go to, always something to celebrate, often drinking too much, the whole year booked up.

When you stop usually you don’t hang out with your old friends so much....