Alcohol may be a part of your everyday life. You may drink socially or even enjoy a drink after a long day of work. But it is important to pay attention to your consumption habits as sometimes drinking can become problematic.
If you feel like your drinking leads to risky behavior or cause issues at work, home, or school, then you may want to modify your approach. Here are some tips for moderating your alcohol consumption:
- Have a glass of water before you have an alcoholic beverage. This will help quench your thirst and prevent you from consuming too much alcohol to satisfy your thirst.
- Eat before and during your drinking. Having food in your stomach (especially food that is high in protein and fat) slows the absorption of alcohol and can reduce the level of intoxication you feel. Be sure to avoid salty snacks, which will make you thirsty.
- Keep track of how much you are drinking. Don’t let people top off your drink until it is finished! Use your phone to record what you drink to know exactly how much you consume.
- Alternate between alcoholic drinks and water or other non-alcoholic drinks.
- Drink slowly. Try drinking for taste rather than effect. Avoid “rounds” with friends and try not to consume more than one drink per hour.
- Beware of hard liquor, especially if you’re a beer drinker. It may be a good idea to avoid shots altogether.
- Know your limits and stick to them. Decide on how much you will allow yourself to drink and don’t go past that amount. Base this number on what you can handle, not what others can handle. Try the penny technique: If you decide on a three drink max, keep three pennies in your pocket and make sure to dispense them after each drink. When all of your pennies are gone, make the decision to stop drinking.
- Learn to say “no” when you don’t want a drink. Plan in advance what you will do or say to avoid drinking when you are tempted.
- Avoid temptation. Watch out for people, places and situations that encourage you to drink excessively. If alone, choose to limit or keep no alcohol at home.
- Don’t drink alcohol when you’re upset and/or angry if you can help it. Instead, work on developing more effective coping skills, such as going for a walk or calling a friend. Alcohol is a depressant and will end up making you feel worse than you originally did.
The benefits of moderating alcohol consumption may be numerous and include losing weight, saving money, sleeping better and having more authentic connections with friends/family.
Cutting back may not be easy and some people who drink heavily are better off avoiding alcohol completely. But if your techniques don’t seem to be working, consider getting support. You may benefit from the help of an addiction treatment program, a therapist that deals with addictions, or by attending an AA meeting in your area.
Whatever you do, don’t give up! Most people don’t moderate or give up drinking all at once. It is a process.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January 2014 and has been updated.
What are your strategies for maintaining a healthy balance with alcohol? Please share some below.
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3 comments
I love the variety of ways presented here to help maintain control of alcohol consumption. Different techniques work for different people, so if you’re having trouble with one of them, don’t be discouraged from attempting another! Some people also benefit from using some type of “buddy system” where you stay on pace with a friend who has a tendency to drink slower and less than you. This also encourages you to stick to your goals with the help and support of your buddy!
These are really great tips. Especially during the holiday season when there are more celebrations and opportunities to over indulge in drinking. Being mindful about alcohol consumption is an important part to healthy living and being able to regulate emotions and mental outlook. Hope everyone has a great holiday season.
This is really a very comprehensive and helpful list!