How to Set Up Your Environment to Make Quitting Alcohol Easier
I’d try to take a 30 day, or even seven day break from drinking — and I could never make it through!
Looking back, there were various reasons why… but a big one is that I never made an effort to set up my environment to succeed.
I’d come home after work, and my old routine would kick in automatically. Walk through the door, crack open a beer, start to “relax.” I wasn’t consciously thinking about it. It was just the way my day ended.
When I finally got smart, I realized my environment was setting me up to fail. I didn’t have a plan. I didn’t have new options. I was trying to white-knuckle my way through cravings while my fridge was still stocked with alcohol. No wonder I couldn’t stay consistent.
If your environment is full of triggers, you're fighting a losing battle. Alcohol is probably everywhere in your house—you just don’t notice it until you step back and look. If you're trying to reduce or quit drinking, you're not making it easier on yourself by keeping it around.
How to Set Up Your Environment to Make Quitting Alcohol Easier
STEP 1 - Do an alcohol audit.
Walk through your house like an outside observer. Look for alcohol in your kitchen, pantry, fridge, bar cart, garage, hidden stashes, gift bottles. Write down everything you find.
Then make a choice. Either:
1- Remove it completely (best move if you’re serious), or
2 - Hide it and make it harder to access (if you absolutely can’t get rid of it yet)
You are about 90% less likely to act impulsively if you have to dig something out of a storage bin instead of seeing it every time you open the fridge.
STEP 2 - Upgrade your space.
When I was finally able to make it through a 30-day no alcohol challenge, I filled the fridge with alcohol-free options like Topo Chico, sparkling waters, and non-alcoholic beers. I put a kettlebell in my living room. I left books, journals, and devotionals where I could see them. I created a nightly reset zone with a yoga mat and foam roller. I built new habits to replace the old ones.
The point is: you have to replace the ritual. You can’t leave a void and expect to win.
This isn’t about depriving yourself. It’s about preparing yourself. Like an athlete prepping for a championship, you engineer your success before game time.
If you want to change your life, you have to change your environment first.
-Forest
PS - I’m putting together a Sober Warrior 30-Day Challenge. We’ll have daily missions like this one, a private group for accountability, live coaching calls for support, plus nutrition and workout plans to help you rebuild while you ditch alcohol. If you’re interested, drop a comment below or reply "I'm interested", and I’ll add you to the list.