New Year, New You
17/01/2012
Cutting Back on Alcohol in 2012
Cutting back on alcohol can help you achieve all of your other resolutions in the New Year, so if you only make one this year then make it that!
Changing your lifestyle can be very tough but if you cut back on your alcohol intake you’ll find that this alone gives an enormous boost to your mental and physical wellbeing. In 2012 over four million people said they would aim to give up alcohol completely by the end of January but a vast proportion of these planners will have fallen off the wagon already.
A good start is to figure out why you drink in the first place. Is it a reward of some kind? “If I do this by the end of today I’ll have a drink?” Find a healthier way to reward yourself, like getting a massage or watching your favourite film.
Here are some simple steps to reduce your alcohol consumption in 2012 and make sure it stays reduced!
Stop ordering in “rounds” when out with friends. If you order alcohol using this system you tend to drink at the speed of the fastest drinker in the group, which is of course a big problem as it means you are most likely consuming more alcohol than you intend to in the first place anyway!
Cut down with others. It is always easier to take a resolution step in a group, so get friends or family involved too. If you reduce your alcohol intake together you can find other activities as you go which will fill up the time previously spent drinking, as well as offer each other help and support along the way.
Pick quality, not quantity. Try ordering specifically nice drinks which you enjoy for flavour, rather than cheap lager which you drink just to have something in your glass (or even “just to get drunk” which is sadly an all-too-common plan). If you can, order drinks with a lower alcohol by volume than normal, so even if you drink the same volume of liquid you are still taking in less alcohol.
Pick out soft drinks. Have juice, fizzy drinks or water as a healthier option when you are having a drink with dinner. If you enjoy blended drinks, why not get hold of some fruit smoothie recipes so your blended drink equipment isn’t sitting idle?
Choose some alcohol-free days. If you think you sometimes overdo it, choose two days in a week when you won’t consume any alcohol at all (for example, Tuesdays and Thursdays). Try going total alcohol free for one Friday a month, or one weekend a month.
It may be hard at first, but eventually you’ll see a marked improvement in your energy levels, social interactions and overall happiness. If you’re having difficulties with reducing the level of alcohol in your life, or know someone else who you think might benefit from some expert help, call Wellington Lodge today in complete confidence for discreet and practical advice.
