I was a bartender for almost 10 years before transitioning into my current industry, and one of the struggles I often faced was drinking mindfully. It wasn’t uncommon that after a long shift of standing at the bar all night long – observing people enjoying the fruits of my labor – that I would feel inclined to end the night with one or… many drinks.
If you have ever felt yourself feeling a little less like your winning self after drinking a little more excessively than you typically would want to, well I might be able to provide some suggestions of habit replacements you can try. It can be very difficult to turn down a night of excessive drinking when you’re working in the restaurant industry, since it’s such a big part of the hospitality culture.
According to the CDC, approximately one in three Americans drinks excessively. This statistic shouldn’t be confused with the idea that excessive drinking equates to alcoholism. In fact, the two have very different definitions.
Fortunately, there are several habits that one can create over time to curb the drinking habits (or even kick them completely).
1. Make a Plan to Create Better Drinking Habits
If you are trying to limit yourself to a certain number of drinks per night, week, or even month, setting limits on the number of drinks you allow yourself is your best bet.
According to Sunnyside, those who track their drinking and commit to a dedicated plan, have reduced their drinking consumption by almost 30 percent in the first 30 days.
Getting a calendar to show when and how many drinks you are allowing yourself will give you a much higher chance of setting yourself up for success and less likely to be tempted. If you plan to give up alcohol entirely at some point, slowly decreasing the number of drinks each week will give you a steady flow and less of a chance to relapse.
2. Don’t Keep Alcohol at Home
Whether we like it or not, no one can avoid alcohol entirely. We come across it at grocery stores, restaurants and even gas stations. Alcohol is everywhere, and there is not much we can do about it.
However, we do have control at home and what comes in the house. If you feel that you need to cut off from alcohol, make sure to keep it out of the house. It’s also important to let your family know what’s going on so that they can help you be successful by not bringing it home either.
If you’ve ever heard the phrase, “out of sight, out of mind,” then you understand that your choices can either help you or hurt you in the long run.
3. Find Friends or a Community of Mindful Drinkers
While we love our friends (even when they get hammered), it’s nice to have friends that don’t want to go bar hopping every Saturday night. Finding friends or support groups in the same situation will limit the chance of ending up at an outing that involves drinking alcohol.
Often, these groups will avoid these situations altogether, choosing to participate in outdoor or sporting activities where they are sure no drinks are in sight. Try joining a Facebook group or Slack channel to surround yourself with individuals who are also looking to cut back their consumption. One really engaged group is The Mindful Drinkers, full of members who support one another.
4. Take up Exercise to Balance Alcohol Consumption
Both the consumption of alcohol and the act of physical exercise release dopamine. Excessive drinking, however, creates a complex imbalance of dopamine in the brain. Whereas physical activity gets our blood circulating, boosts our mood, and increases endorphins, naturally relieving stress.
While drinking appears to work as a stress reliever, it only works as a sedative, calming the body. Unfortunately, it makes our brain foggy and decreases mood once the endorphins wear off.
5. Never Drink in Solace
Drinking to cope is an ongoing issue with those who excessively drink and is done out of a way to comfort ourselves through pain. It’s perfectly natural to feel stressed or anxious and have a drink to calm the body as long as it doesn’t become habit forming since alcohol is a depressant.
The best way to do this is to call a friend to keep you company, and if you feel like drinking, you at least have someone to make sure you stay at your drinking limit.
6. Cut back by Going Smaller
Just as individuals often use smaller dishes when dieting to feel as if they're eating more, the illusion can do the same with drinking. Using smaller wine glasses (250mL) and standard size beer glasses (one-half pint) instead of the larger alternatives will help to keep the volume of alcohol consumption to a minimum. That way, instead of feeling unsatisfied by a small pour in a big glass, you’ll feel content with your one drink that you limited yourself for the night.
7. Take up Yoga/Meditation
Those who enjoy a calming activity to find themselves within will find yoga or meditation very effective. They not only calm the body but also calm the mind, letting you relax and find peace within yourself.
A study from the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology concluded that sitting in a mindful meditation for just 11 minutes a day significantly reduces the alcohol consumption of at-risk drinkers.
These sessions give individuals the tools to acknowledge the problem (along with the feelings and emotions that run with it) and then accept that they can let go if they choose to do so.
8. Swap out Alcohol Consumption with the Practice of Self-Care
Along with mindful exercises, practicing self-care is a great way to distract from excessive drinking and focus on what is truly important: You. Start with small acts of self-care like taking a long, hot bath at the end of the day followed by 30 minutes of reading before bed. Take a day to spend by yourself, splurging on a new outfit followed by a home cooked meal and then curling up on the couch to watch an old favorite movie. Those who take part in acts of self-care have lower levels of stress and anxiety and have better mental health overall.
9. Journaling your Alcohol-free Experiences
Whether you are avoiding alcohol altogether or simply limiting your intake, sobering up can often be an emotional journey. Starting a journal and writing down your experiences (without the fogginess of the alcohol) can play a big part in the healing process. Too often, cases involving childhood trauma, PTSD, and other mental health problems are causes of alcohol dependence.
10. Cutting back before Cutting off Completely
If you plan to cut off from alcohol, start small by cutting back the number of drinks you consume and how often you consume them. Doing challenges like Dry January or decreasing by one or two drinks each week are great ways to slowly cut back on your consumption and give yourself a challenge. If you can get down to one drink a week and then one drink per month, it will be much easier to give up alcohol of your own will, and you can reap all the benefits that come with it.
11. Change up your Routinely Habits
Cutting down (or cutting off) alcohol is not easy, making it that much more difficult when you have a scheduled drink in your routine every day. One thing that the human body loves is a routine that we don't have to think about. To get out of bad habits, switch up your routine completely. Try working out at night instead of in the morning, go for a walk during your lunch, and make your coffee at home instead of buying it at a coffee shop. Changes are good for the mind, not letting it fall into habits that might be too comfortable and habit-forming.
12. Find similar Non-alcoholic Beverages/Mocktail Alternatives
Few things are more delicious than the perfect cocktail at the end of the day. But when it’s time to cut back, why should we stop doing things that we enjoy? Luckily, the non-alcoholic drinks and mocktail beverage industry is booming, and there are more choices than ever before. From low-alcohol Sangrias to non-alcoholic sparkling teas, there are plenty of great tasting alternatives. In fact you can check out these non-alcoholic drinks recipes to try at home.
13. If you Plan on Drinking, Always Drink Double-Fisted
One of the first rules to drinking alcohol is that if you’re going to do it, you need to hydrate! More than one in three Americans are chronically dehydrated and alcohol is hurting more than helping this dilemma.
The rule of thumb is to drink one glass of water for every alcoholic drink that you consume. While it’s important to drink water during a drinking session, it’s recommended that you drink water before and after, as well. It will not only help you drink less, but it will save you from a debilitating hangover the next day.
14. Understand your Drinking Triggers and Stressors
Whether you are dry for the night or not drinking at all, there will be times that you will end up in situations where you come across alcohol and it's unavoidable. On some occasions, it could be the offer of an alcoholic beverage. Other times, it could be someone asking you to hold their drink for them, leaving you to resist the urge to take a sip as it sits just inches from your face. These may not be ideal situations, but it's real.
15. Remember Your ‘Why’
One of the most crucial habits to pick up is remembering the ‘why’ of your decision to cut back on your drinking or stop altogether. It could be a preference, a social problem, or even a personal issue, affecting not only you but your loved ones. There is nothing wrong with drinking alcohol. The main thing to remember is to take care of our health, both physically and mentally.
Nadya Khoja is the head of content at Sunnyside. Sunnyside is a judgment-free drink tracking app that helps people cut back on their drinking, without the pressure to stop. Sunnyside believes there's power in finding balance and helps you ease into mindful drinking at your own pace. Khoja has been featured on Forbes, CBC, Wall Street Journal, and many other notable publications. She has spoken around the world, educating various business leaders about building and executing scalable marketing strategies.
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