Can you believe it's February already? This time last year, I made a decision that has been the catalyst for a great many changes in my life over the past 12 months. I decided to go 1 month without alcohol for FebFast.
I had heard of HSM but didn't feel like I could commit to 3 months - even the idea of going a whole week without booze was a bit scary. However, I set myself a challenge to go 28 days without booze. That seemed like an achievable goal.
I’m proud to say, I breezed through February, so much easier than I had ever thought possible. And that got me prepared and ready for my 3 month HSM a few months later and with the HSM community supporting me along the way, I completed my first HSM in 2011!
Fast forward a year to Feb 2012, and I'm now working with the team at HSM. I've been reflecting back on my own experience, combined with feedback from the HSM community, and I'm wondering how we can open up the doors to more people, and get more people signed up to HSM.
There are tonnes of people out there (just like me last year) who aren't quite ready to commit to a 3/6/12 month HSM. But we want them to sign up and join the HSM community, even if they can only commit to 1 week or 1 month, just as trial.
The support that HSM can give you while you're re-thinking your relationship with alcohol is so important, and we have a responsibility to open it up to anyone in need of support. Of course we don’t want to diminish the importance of the true HSM experience - 3 months should always be the goal, or 6/12 months if you’re really up for the challenge!
But maybe we can invite users to sign up as a HSM junior, or HSM Lite member. They still get a profile and the ability to blog, comment and share with the community, but there is less pressure on them to make a big commitment when they are not quite ready yet.
Sign up as a HSM Lite member and take 1 week or 1 month off alcohol – and hopefully by joining the community, you'll be ready to sign up for 3 months before you know it!
What do you think? Is this a good way to open HSM up to more people, who may be hesitant to sign up because of the 3-month commitment? Maybe they can have some sort of badge on their profile saying "HSM Lite" or something. And then when they are ready to do a 3 month HSM (or longer) they become a full HSM member.
HSM is really about the community, so the community should get a say in the next phase of development.
So let me know your thoughts!
08/02/12
Last week I saw my therapist who has been helping me with my drinking & the reasons for it. I hadn’t seen her since October & I walked in glowing & so proud of myself 5 weeks in HSM. She hadn’t heard of it but was amazed at the change in me. She was going to spend the weekend researching & was going to ring one patient that day with details. This patient was looking for something apart from the rehab & other support services she had heard about. I was very proud to think I helped pass the word through that source but surprised my doc hadn’t heard of it. Thanks so much HSM & dont forget people to donate to help this wonderful group
08/02/12
I hesitated before expressing a view because (a) not from Australia and (b) note your core demographic in terms of age. But here’s my view anyway! I think that HSM Lite – or HSM taster maybe? – is a good idea. I think thought that the HSM online community is a community. Those feelings of community develop very quickly. Even so, I wonder whether the taster should be 1 month, rather than 1 week, just in terms of the online community being able to engage with people better? But as Sandals says above what you are doing is magic, so, yes, spread the magic! Best wishes.
08/02/12
It’s interesting to hear you say you’re not our core demographic in terms of age and you’re in your 50s. I wonder what the HSM community thinks is the core demographic…. because I’ve been doing the reports lately and would you believe that 42+ females are one of the biggest groups!
I am going to pull together some cool facts to share with everyone because i think you’d be surprised at the real demographics of the community. HSM is not just for young people!
but thanks for your comments. I see what you mean – 1 week isn’t enough time to really engage with the community. However I’ve noticed a couple of users who have signed up even BEFORE they start their HSM. So they are here, blogging and sharing before they have ever started. It no doubt is giving them the extra confidence and courage they need… they are working up to it.
So I guess my hope would be even if you only could commit to 1 week you’d start engaging with the community before or after your 1 week and maybe they will help you build up the courage to do a full HSM.
10/02/12
I actually clicked the link after getting the email just to make this same comment about a week not being enough. Although when drinking gets serious a week can be good, in terms of being a proper milestone of any kind all that would happen is you’d still get drunk on the weekends – and doesn’t that defeat the point for a lot of people?
Maybe 2 weeks would be a better minimum so there is at least one weekend in there – or even include the weekends at either end? Or at least make it so that it starts on friday…etc
11/02/12
good points Craig. 1 week definitely is not enough to make any real difference in the long run (unless you’re a severe alcoholic), however could 1 week be the stepping stone for someone who is otherwise reluctant to try a HSM?
08/02/12
I think HSM Lite is a great idea to get the community growing, and spread the word. It sure was daunting signing up for 12 weeks and having to share my goals and what not, as all that is quite personal.
I think it will be a lot easier for some people to commit if they’ve had a chance to get to know the community a bit first.
09/02/12
Catherinefromlondon, I am 54 & been fighting this for 20+ years, all ages are affected
09/02/12
Yes, really interesting points about the age-thing. HSM for all. But no bad thing reaching out as a young, cool movement to attract young people; whilst welcoming all. Best wishes.
10/02/12
I’m really stunned that abstaining from alcohol for 1 week is a challenge for anyone. It reminds me that I am so lucky that I don’t have a dependency on alcohol and a huge congratulations to anyone who has and is working through it. I think a month is a great taster for anyone who doesn’t have a serious issue with drinking but feels they need a break. 3 months is quite a long time…
11/02/12
I agree. 1 week was always pretty easy for me, as I never drank throughout the week – only the weekends, so all it took was a weekend of no parties, or feeling a bit tired and i could easily get through a weekend without booze.
but maybe there are people out there who DO drink every day, so even a week is a challenge?
But yeah I’m starting to think 1 week isn’t enough, but 1 month is a good length (a taster like you said!)
10/02/12
1 Month: One of the things I like about HSM is that it challenges people to try 3 months. 3 Months really makes you think. Takes commitment. 1 Month, or 4 weeks is just 4 weekends. You can hang out for 4 weekends only to leap onto the booze again at the end of it. 4 weeks is like holding your breath, but not really committing to change. 3 Months sort of forces you to actually change your lifestyle, and then you get the opportunity to see how that benefits you.
I know the whole HSM thing is done voluntarily anyway, so what does it matter? But intuitively it feels like a sell out. Drinking alcohol is a quick and easy, lazy ways to entertain yourself. Finding and creating stimulation for a sober mind takes a bit more work. In many areas of society we are so used to watering things down to make it easy, somewhere you have to make a stand and say no, there is no easy ‘lite’ version. You are in or you are out.
Why bother with 4 weeks, why not just do 1 week super-lite, 1 day ultra-lite, 1 drink uber-mega-lite.
Maybe I am just old and grumpy.
11/02/12
hahah we need the old, grumpy opinions too
I don’t want everyone agreeing just for the hell of it. I like a good discussion, a challenge.
I guess I just look back at me 12 months ago and I would have never thought I could do 3 months….until I did 1 month and I felt so great, so proud of myself (i know 1 month isn’t really that long a time, but damn it felt it), and that was the motivation i needed to commit to a full 3-months.
Ultimately, HSM is trying to promote choice – you choose your own adventure in life. You can choose to have fun without alcohol.
Our message says it’s about choice, but we don’t give people the ultimate choice on how long they don’t drink for……
I guess that is where this line of questioning came from. I really appreciate your thoughts tho, and i do think as a society we water things down so often to make it “easier” on ourselves.
10/02/12
I agree with Chris, 3 months is actually a challenge – you can’t avoid a birthday, a Christmas or something usually booze fuelled. However, 3 months is also why I haven’t genuinely embarked on my HSM. I work in drug and alcohol and I know that every day without alcohol for some is an achievement. It’s not to be sniffed at. So being able to reach the important milestone of a one month HSM might be a way to encourage some/give them the knowledge to know they can go for the next goal. (some like me!) x
11/02/12
yeah i guess that’s what i was thinking. are there people out there reluctant to do 3 months, but would do 1 month? we get them to sign up and be part of the community, they do a month and feel great at the end of it, and then are encouraged to try 3 months
10/02/12
I signed up to HSM about 4 weeks ago and the first week was brilliant. I had a million things to post and I enjoyed checking in to see how the community was. Then I got busy. Got bored (with myself not the community). I couldn’t think of anything to write because it isn’t really that interesting telling everyone that you’ve been for a run, patted the dog, fed the children, gone to the zoo, had a day at work etc etc etc. Anyway it got me thinking – because we are a research centre interested in all things technology and care about the wellbeing of young people I did wonder if we could create an app that would keep people excited and motivated and wanting to be community builders with stories to tell. The idea of a HSM lite for a work place makes sense if you turn it into an event like Movember and rather than linking it to a time period i.e. 3 months create something that got people thinking about their culture of drinking and how to help with making some decisions about alternatives to drinking i.e. movie night, stress busters. Not in a ‘you must not drink kind of way’ but what if people signed up to a ‘alcohol free for 5 nights out of 7′ or ‘hangover free for 3 months’ and committed to work as a team to cut their consumption. So the conversation becomes less about how hard it is not to drink and more around how sticking to one glass of bubbles rather than twenty meant you could get up at 6 am to go for a run. I read a post tonight about feeling bored and I must admit I feel restless and bored. I’ve had some stressful days and been to a number of events where alcohol was flowing freely and haven’t felt like a drink but by the same toke I’m feeling bored and a bit boring when I sit down to a beautiful dinner with my husband and we can’t share in the enjoyment of choosing a wine. I think a HSM lite would be ideal for workplaces and would be a great kick start to getting people thinking about having the 2nd and 3rd drink. Especially if you could turn it into something fun and creative and clever and just a little bit competitive??
11/02/12
hey jane, great feedback!
did you know HSM has the Corporate Challenge?
http://hellosundaymorning.com.au/hollidayhangoverappeal/hsm-corporate-challenge/
The idea is you get work mates together and all challenge each other to go 12 weeks in 2012!
ooh a HSM app – now that would be something special
i’ll send you an email, i’d love to brainstorm about what sort of app could be beneficial for the HSM community
14/02/12
What about if we made a ‘three-month Hello Sunday Morning” kind of like the marathon one might aim to run at some point in a lifetime. However, we still help people there by taking a week off or a month to work up to that point.
I think we should also give people who do a three month period a medallion or something, because it is a pretty epic achievement.