Giving up alcohol isn't easy, but after 30 days I'm already reaping the benefits
By ABC Everyday / By Flip Prior on
On the first day of my abstinent year — having quaffed cheap prosecco while partying until midnight in a kind of panic — I woke up with a nasty hangover.
It was the anxiety-inducing kind necessitating a dark room, cold shower, swim at the beach and hot salty chips to restore any semblance of humanity.
A month into my year without alcohol, I feel worlds away from that wretched creature who woke up to 2019 cracking open one bloodshot, puffy eye and cursing her appalling life choices.
The things I love about being booze free include, better sleep, feeling calmer and dropping 4 kilograms without trying too hard.
But as I celebrate this first significant milestone, I won't sugar-coat it and pretend it's been a complete walk in the park....
Why do our friends want us to drink?
By Simon Lenton on
Anyone who has ever tried to give up drinking, or goes somewhere and says they’re not drinking, knows people encourage us to drink and are unhappy when we don’t. Why is this? Is it uniquely Australian? What can we do about it?
The phenomenon of people experiencing pressure to drink in social situations has been identified in many countries around the world, not just in Australia.
Research on negative reactions to non-drinking and non-drinkers has been reported in countries including the USA, Mexico, Peru, New Zealand, Japan, African countries, and Finland. Within countries, drinking norms also often vary from one social or cultural group to another..
Doing what our mates do
In some groups, heavy drinking might be normal. In these...
Alcohol can be hard to quit — here are ways to set yourself up to succeed
By ABC Everyday / By Johanna Khan on
Have you ever considered cutting down on the amount of alcohol you drink, or even stopping completely?
It's not that you have a big problem with alcohol but there are some things about your relationship with booze that you want to change.
You might be reflecting on your indulgent holiday period and want to take a step back, or perhaps you've noticed your drinking is stopping you from doing other things.
So how do you get started? While a break from booze will look different for each one of us, there are certain strategies that can really help if you want to stop drinking (even if it's just for a while).
Create a support network
Personal support networks and connections can keep people going with quitting alcohol, says addiction...
Lyre's G&T
By Lyre's Spirit Co on
Ingredients
60mL Lyre's Dry London Spirit
120mL premium bottled tonic water
1 pink grapefruit slice
Method
Add all ingredients to glass, fill with ice, stir
Glass
Highball
Garnish
Rosemary sprig
LYRE'S AMERICAN MALT & COLA
By Lyre's Spirit Co on
Ingredients
45mL Lyre's American Malt
120mL premium bottled cola
Method
Add all ingredients to glass, fill with ice, stir
Glass
Highball
Seven tips for using the back-to-school mindset to help you stick to your goals
By Trudy Meehan on
Even if it’s been many years since you were last in school, you might still associate this time of year with that “back-to-school” mindset – that feeling of a page turning, a new phase beginning and the chance to start anew and reinvent yourself.
While you won’t find any research on the “back-to-school mindset” itself, this feeling is very similar to what science calls the “fresh start effect”. This is a boost in motivation for change that comes with a shift from one time in your life to another – called a temporal landmark. The beginning of a new school year, birthdays, anniversaries and even Monday mornings are all temporal landmarks.
Temporal landmarks support our belief that we can reinvent ourselves, acting as a threshold to a new...
12 ways to finally achieve your most elusive goals
By Peter A. Heslin, Lauren A. Keating, Ute-Christine Klehe on
It’s that time of year to muse on what you hope to accomplish over the next 12 months.
The best advice when making resolutions is to set goals that are “SMART” – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant (to you) and time-bound.
Once you’ve set your goals, what can help you achieve them? Based on our research, we’ve distilled 12 goal-enablers. These cover four broad principles you can use to keep yourself on track.
You don’t have to do all 12. Just focusing on the most relevant three to five can make a big difference.
Set relevant supporting goals
An outcome goal isn’t enough. Set clear supporting goals that equip you to attain that outcome.
1. Behavioural goals stipulate the actions required to reach your outcome goal. If you want to...
How putting purpose into your New Year’s resolutions can bring meaning and results
By Benjamin Houltberg & Arianna Uhalde on
People worldwide make New Year’s resolutions every year in an attempt to improve their lives. Common resolutions are to exercise more, eat healthier, save money, lose weight and reduce stress.
Yet, 80% of people agree that most people won’t stick to their resolutions. This pessimism is somewhat justified. Only 4% of people report following through on all of the resolutions they personally set.
We have spent years studying motivation, emotion regulation and behaviour in family relationships, athletic performance and health information processing in the marketplace. Now at USC’s Performance Science Institute, we help people attain and sustain high performance in all aspects of their lives.
Based on our research, we propose a potential...
Lyre's Venues
By Dry July Foundation on
Heading out this Dry July? Thanks to Lyre's Spirit Co, these participating venues have a dedicated Dry July menu with delicious Lyre's non-alcoholic cocktails.
VenueSuburbOffer Available In JulyMartinezGrana
Promenade
Strike Bowling
Holey Moley
Archie Brothers
Hijinx Hotel
B.Lucky & Sons
Maybe Sammy
El Primo Sanchez
Maybe Frank
Botanic House
Bopp & Tone
Rafi
Taphouse
Forresters
The Botanist
So Cal
Rice Paper Scissors
400 Gradi
Nomad Sydney
Nomad Melbourne
Bang Bang at The Rifle Club
Pilgrim
Riverland
Railway Hotel
The Boatbuilders Yard
The General Assembly
Mamasan Kitchen
Hideout On The Harbour
Bartholmews
QT Melbourne
QT Sydney
QT Canberra
QT Newcastle
Greca
Yoko Dining
Bar Messenger
Winston Hotel
...