10 Tips For Cutting Back On Alcohol
Cutting back on alcohol can be a daunting task, especially if you have been consuming it for so many years. Not to worry, though, because we have some tips and tricks that will make cutting back your alcohol consumption easier.
These are the 10 tips we will be going over today.
Pour out some of the drink before starting
Spending your time on something else
Pace yourself
Avoid triggers
Keep alcohol out of the house
Have alcohol-free days
Ask for help
Swap to mocktails or low-alcoholic drinks
Drink more water
Count your drinks
Below we will go into more detail about each tip and the easiest way to accomplish each one. You will also be able to decide which tip is best suited for you when trying to cut back on drinking.
Tip 1: Pouring a little out before you start drinking
Pouring a little out before you begin drinking is an easy trick. It makes your 6 pack of beer become a 5 pack or 5 glasses of wine become 4. This may not seem like the biggest difference but as time goes on you won’t miss that drink you aren’t drinking. Drinking one less drink will become natural and over time will continue to cut out one by one.
Tip 2: Spend time on a new hobby
It’s hard to cut back when alcohol is all you can think about. Beginning a new hobby will allow your mind to focus on other things and keep you busy. Anything from starting at the gym to reading new books or scrapbooking can be a good hobby to begin.
Tip 3: Pace yourself
Whether you are out or at home while drinking adding a glass of water inbetween drinks will help you pace yourself or baby your drinks which just means to drink them slower. Instead of going for a drink right away after you finish one allow yourself time to drink water. Another way to slow down the pace is putting the drink down, when you carry your drink you are more inclined to drink it faster.
Tip 4: Mind Your Triggers
Easier said than done, right? Avoiding emotional triggers 100% of the time would be exhausting, but when you can practice reasoning with yourself during triggering moments, you will quickly find that your belief in the trigger causes the trigger to feel more intense. During those times, ask yourself, “Is this happening now? Or am I projecting my triggering memory on this situation?”
Check out the video below for more
Tip 5: Don’t keep Alcohol in The House
This tip may sound straightforward, but if you live with someone who isn’t watching what they drink, or if you are just always tempted at the store, it can be challenging. Not keeping alcohol in the house helps you not grab for a bottle or can and in turn will help you cut back on consumption. Keeping things out of sight works wonders on keeping them off the mind.
Trick: Add carbonated water to your diet as a swap
Tip 6: Have Alcohol-free days
If you are someone who drinks every day, you may want to opt for having alcohol-free days. Choose a day or even maybe two from the week that you are going to dedicate to being alcohol-free. Devote that time to getting out of your normal routine to try new things, or maybe even picking up and rekindling a passion for a snubbed out interest or passion. Think about the things you LOVE but have been putting off since drinking.
Tip 7: Ask For support
The people you have around you are going to be a big part of your journey, so don’t be afraid to ask them for help or support. This builds up your community and allows you to stay accountable because you have a support system that wants to help.
Tip 8: Swap to low alcohol or non-alcoholic options
Opting for alcohols with a lower ABV can help with the cutting back process. You may catch yourself drinking the same amount of drinks, but because they are lower in volume, your body will adjust to having less alcohol.
Tip 9: Drink more water
Not only is drinking more water good for you but it helps you reach for something else to drink besides alcohol. Create a game out of this for yourself to stay enthusiastic and motivated to ingest the true elixir of life: high quality H2O.
Tip 10: Count Your Drinks
We don’t mean to count your drink in the sense of having a limit when you go out and drink. Instead, count them and realize when you are at your limit and keep yourself accountable when seeing how many you have had.
Final Thoughts
Some of these tips can also help a person who wants to cut out alcohol completely and is a good starting point in cutting back on alcohol consumption. Throughout your process, make sure to go back and see your progress and re-evaluate things along the way. This process may not be an easy one nor a smooth one, but with some of these tips in place, we hope to make it as painless as possible.