So you want to cut down on your drinking? Well, take advantage of these 10 tips to achieve your goals.
- Set your target – before you start, decide on exactly what you want to achieve. Do you want to reduce the amount you drink during each session or perhaps have two or three days a week which are alcohol-free by the end of the month? Make the plan achievable; small steps lead to big changes.
- Tell your friends and family what you are doing – they will be supportive and help you. If they didn’t know, they could be plying you with extra drinks, which will make it harder to stick to your plan.
- Keep a drinks journal – keep track of what you do actually drink so you are sure that you are achieving your goals. It is easy to lose count of what you have had if you are not writing it down.
- Alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic drinks – when you are drinking have one drink and then a non-alcoholic drink. Drinking water is a good tactic, it keeps you hydrated or why not experiment with non-alcoholic cocktails? You will be amazed at how tasty some of them can be.
- Have a lower-strength drink or make it a smaller one – this can be an easy way to reduce your alcohol intake. Drink it slowly and try to make one drink last as long as it would normally take you to drink two. We are all familiar with the experience of drinking or eating something so quickly that you don’t actually remember enjoying it. Sip it and savour it.
- Change your patterns of behaviour – do you always find yourself pouring a glass of wine while you are preparing dinner? Is it your way of relaxing after a day at work? Why not decide that the wine will be on the table to have with dinner, but while you are preparing dinner find an alternative way to unwind. Perhaps learn some yoga and spend the time relaxing while dinner cooks.
- Have alcohol-free days – if you are drinking every day, try and introduce one day a week when you don’t drink anything. You can gradually increase this if you are successful
- Find alternatives – if drinking has been a big part of your social activities, look for other things to do. Take up a new sport or hobby which does not involve being in places where you might be tempted to drink.
- Don’t have alcohol at home – if drinking at home is a problem, buy less or don’t buy it at all and then you can’t be tempted.
- Don’t give up just because you fail – nobody ever said that achieving things was easy. If you fall at a hurdle, get up and give it another go.
