Did you know that there are
six things we have control over that predict roughly 80% of the
chronic illnesses
we will face? Risky substance use is one of these pillars — and as
seen in recent research, use of substances has been increasing
during the pandemic.
It’s human nature to look for a short cut. And, when it comes to
stress relief, many of us do—reaching for alcohol, tobacco, or
cannabis to take the edge off. With more of us cooped up and
isolated during the pandemic,
research shows that more of us are relying on substances to
cope.
Luckily, the stigma around talking about difficulties with substance
use is beginning to soften. The popularity of no-drinking
challenges, like Dry January, the proliferation of online programs
such as
ThisNakedMind
and
OneYearNoBeer, and a booming non-alcoholic beverage industry point to a growing
market for moderation.
If you are interested in exploring your relationship to substances,
try these tips.
-
Experiment with substance-free days and use a
notebook to track how you feel on those days and on days when you
do indulge. Seeing how different substances affect your sleep,
mood, and motivation can be helpful information as you decide if
or when you do want to indulge.
-
Ask yourself why you are using it. Is it to help
you sleep? Is it a coping mechanism to manage stress, anxiety or
depression? Or is it a way to relieve boredom in a time when our
lives have lost a lot of the fun outlets we used to have?
-
Replace it with a habit that will better help you
reach your end goal. According to
research done at MIT, habits work on a simple loop: the cue, the routine, and then
the reward.
For instance, if you drink to fall asleep,
the cue is nighttime, the routine is reaching for the drink, and
the reward, falling asleep faster. Try replacing the drinks with
another ritual—but one that will help you sleep better than
alcohol does. Nighttime comes, you make a cup of chamomile tea and
take a hot bath for instance. You give yourself a pleasurable,
relaxing ritual to replace drinking. Over time, your mind will
react to nighttime with the desire for a bath rather than a glass
of wine.
If your cue is stress or boredom, here are
some helpful ideas for creating a replacement
stress reliever
or
building your social life.
-
Make your goals bigger:
Research into habit
formation has found that it is helpful to make your goals about
something positive, important to you, and specific—rather than
just focused on the behavior. So, instead of a vague goal targeted
to the specific behavior—such as “I want to smoke less”—make it
about what you hope to achieve. For instance: “I want to be
clear-headed and present at work in the morning,” “I want to have
a deep, restful sleep,” or “I want to end my day with a fun
activity.”
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