Resource for Alcohol Cravings When Quitting Drinking
Practical steps to manage urges, reduce triggers, and stay strong in early sobriety
This guide is meant to act as a resource for when you want to drink. When the craving seems unbearable. This is common during the first couple of weeks. Below will help you when this happens.
Step #0
Create a “Craving Care Kit” ahead of time:
Save this page as a bookmark on your phone or print it
Save this meditation link on Cravings
Add a friend to your Favorites for quick access
Choose a replacement drink that comforts you—tea, sparkling water, electrolyte mix
Action Steps: Create this now before moving to Step #1
Step #1: Your WHY
Why does changing your relationship to alcohol matter to you?
This isn’t about what you should want or what sounds good to others. This is about what’s true for you. Your why is the anchor that holds you steady when cravings pull you toward old patterns.
Discovering Your Why
Ask yourself these questions and write down whatever comes up, even if it feels messy or incomplete:
What am I missing out on? What experiences, relationships, or moments are slipping away because of alcohol?
Who am I becoming? When I imagine myself 6 months from now without alcohol, what changes do I see?
What am I afraid of losing? If nothing changes, what will I regret most?
What do I want to feel? What emotion or state of being am I truly seeking? (Peace? Clarity? Control? Connection?)
What’s calling me forward? What creative project, relationship, or version of myself is waiting on the other side of this?
Common Whys (You’re Not Alone)
Here are some whys that others have shared. Maybe one resonates with you:
“I want to be present for my kids, not just physically there”
“I’m tired of losing entire days to hangovers and shame”
“I want to create again - I’ve lost my creative spark”
“I need to prove to myself that I’m capable of this”
“I want to remember my nights and feel proud of my choices”
“I’m chasing mental clarity I haven’t felt in years”
“I want to stop lying to myself and others”
“I’m building a life I don’t need to escape from”
My Why
I stopped drinking because I wanted more for myself.
Alcohol was stealing my mornings - the time when my mind is clearest and most capable. I’d wake up foggy, anxious, unable to access the creative flow that makes me feel alive. I was trading temporary relief for the thing I valued most: my ability to think clearly and make things.
I also realized I was using alcohol to avoid dealing with uncomfortable emotions. Every time I felt anxious, uncertain, or overwhelmed, I’d reach for a drink instead of sitting with those feelings. I was numbing myself, and in doing so, I was numbing everything - including joy, creativity, and genuine connection.
I wanted my mind back. I wanted myself back.
Creating Your Why
Your visual why should be something you can see multiple times a day - especially during vulnerable moments.
Choose your core statement - One sentence that captures your why. Examples:
“I choose clarity over comfort”
“I’m building a life I don’t need to escape”
“My kids deserve the real me”
“I create best with a clear mind”
Make it visible everywhere:
Phone lock screen or wallpaper
Sticky note on your bathroom mirror
Note in your wallet
Alarm label on your phone
Background on your computer
Add an image if it helps - Some people pair their why with a photo that represents what they’re moving toward: their kids, a creative project, a place they want to visit with full presence, a version of themselves they’re becoming.
Action Step: Right now, write your why statement. Don’t overthink it. You can refine it later. Just get something down that feels true.
Then, put it somewhere you’ll see it tomorrow morning.
Step #2: Acknowledge
The urge to have a drink is going to happen. It may happen on day 1. It may happen on day 29, or in between. It will happen multiple times.
Something will trigger you
Something will upset you
And in this moment, you will seek comfort
At this time, alcohol is the comfort
Action Steps:
Pause and name it: “I’m having a craving right now”
Don’t judge yourself for it
Look at your visual why
Remind yourself: “This feeling is temporary”
The good news, the longer it’s out of your system, the cravings start to become less.
Remember: Cravings are information. When you learn, you change the pattern.
Step #3: Distraction
You will want to isolate. You’ll feel as though you are the only one going through this and that no one can really help you. You just want comfort for yourself. It’s VERY important to become aware of this. And tell yourself, it’s okay. I am going through a rough moment at this time and tell yourself, “This is going to pass.” I absolutely promise you, it will pass.
Action Steps:
Move your body and go for a walk
If you can’t go outside, walk around in your home
When you are walking, notice the things around you. Listen. This is bringing you into the present moment. This may not seem like it’s working right away, but it’s helping.
Even if you do this, your mind is going to want to come back to comfort. This is okay. It’s your body going through the natural process of craving. Your body has been so used to having alcohol, and now you are removing it.
Drink your replacement beverage of choice
Send me a direct message
Talk about what happened. How are you feeling? If I don’t respond, feel free to do the same with a friend, particularly a friend who knows you are going through this process of letting alcohol go, and they are directly supportive.
Step #4: Journaling or Voice Recording
It’s important to write down what has upset you and what has caused this urge to want to drink. Once you’ve been able to do Step #3 and the craving has lessened, take this time to transfer your thoughts onto paper or record a voice memo. Take it out of your mind and get it down to where you can observe it.
Action Steps:
Write down or speak about what you are experiencing
Describe your emotions and feelings in detail
Be specific about your thoughts
What’s currently occupying your mind?
All of these steps are connected in helping you build awareness around what is “causing” the cravings. Once you can figure that out, you start to replace your drinking with more supportive practices.
Closing Reminder
The work you are doing here is not easy. It’s very hard. I had moments where I slipped, and that’s okay. I kept coming back. I tried again.
I believed it was possible.
The relationship you have with alcohol will change because you are here doing the work.
Trust the process.
Trust yourself.
Your why will become reality.
✨ You don’t have to do this alone. If you want accountability and guidance in navigating these cravings and building your creative clarity, I’d love to support you. Book a call with me here.