4 Ways to Stop Drinking Soda

I'm focusing on not drinking soda. Many people have different habits and addictions that they turn to during stressful times. Some common ones include social media, Netflix, alcohol, food, and drugs. In this post, I discuss how my habit of drinking Diet Coke affects my life. I also share four ways that I plan on using to stop drinking soda.

My Habit of Drinking Soda Every Day Had to Stop

There’s a restaurant right across the street from my work. They sell burgers, pizza, chicken, fries, alcohol, and soda. During my lunch break, the only thing I usually order from the restaurant is Diet Coke. But since the staff typically rely on tips for their pay, I sometimes feel guilty for only ordering one thing. So, every once in a while, I buy a full meal.

Every day, I spend at least half an hour's worth of my paycheck on one order. That doesn't sound like much, but it adds up fast. In addition to that, I crave more soda during the rest of the day. Sometimes, I end up drinking a lot of pop too close to my bedtime. So, it is hard to fall asleep at night. Thus, I rely on soda to stay awake the next day. The cycle repeats itself almost every day.

Now that I have discussed why drinking soda is a problem for me, here are some of the ways I plan on stopping my habit of drinking soda.

4 Ways I Will Stop Drinking Soda

1. I will eat my lunch at work. I don't like staying at work during my lunch break. It's nice to get away from the workplace for a little bit. But by staying inside the store for the first week of changing my habit, I will give myself one less opportunity to drink soda. This will hopefully reduce my temptation to drink soda a little bit.
2. I will spend my lunchtime shopping for Christmas presents. Thankfully, I do not have a habit of spending too much money shopping. So, if I really need to leave work during my lunch break, I will buy gifts for the holidays. This way, I will be less stressed out closer to the holidays, and I will have less time to buy soda.
3. I will replace soda with water, green tea, and chamomile. About 10 years ago, I started drinking green tea to lose weight, but I hated it. It was too strong and bitter for my taste. Still, I kept an open mind and tried different brands like Celestial Seasonings and Bigelow. Eventually, I enjoyed the taste of green tea. Shortly after that, I found a love for chamomile. So, now I will try to replace the soda with water, chamomile, and green tea to stop drinking soda.
4. I will use positive affirmations. Oftentimes, when I do something that I tell myself I won't do, I beat myself up over it. It's easy to become impatient with myself and then give up on my goals. But by reading about self-compassion and listening to meditations on forgiveness, I will relearn how to be a better friend to myself. Perhaps motivational books and audio will help me find more affirmations and mantras to use when I feel like giving up on my goal.

Those are just four techniques I plan on using to stop drinking soda. Have you found any good ways to break your habits in the past? If so, share your discoveries in the comments.