10 ways to unwind without hitting the bottle
Men's Health South Africa|January - February 2023
Whether you're cutting out drinks or just cutting back, you can keep your spirits up without the spirits.
By Scarlett Wrench
10 ways to unwind without hitting the bottle

1 CUE UP A COMEDY

Laughing produces gamma waves, the same high-frequency brain waves generated during a solid meditation session, according to research from Loma Linda University in California. And the anticipation of a laugh can reduce stress hormones. Start with Seth MacFarlane's Star Trek spoof The Orville: New Horizons.

2 PLAY PICKUP

You may not miss the booze, but you'll probably miss the bar. Round up some fit friends and/or coworkers and schedule a weekly run, 5-a-side or lifting session. These activities don't require a ton of people to be enjoyable (unlike fielding a full touch rugby team) and allow time for what makes bars so great: conversation.

3 DO THINGS ON YOUR OWN

You'll do gardening and grocery shopping alone-so why not the fun stuff? Researchers have found that people who go to the movies, see a concert or visit an art gallery solo experience mental-health benefits similar to those of people who go in groups. Sounds like an excuse to treat yourself to a nice dinner.

This story is from the January - February 2023 edition of Men's Health South Africa.

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This story is from the January - February 2023 edition of Men's Health South Africa.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

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