Controlling our drinking urges can be hard for a lot of people. Whether because of impulse control issues, peer pressure, or another reason, we often binge drink after having a few drinks. Every glass becomes a slippery slope.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t drink without devolving into binge drinking. You just need to know how to control your urges. And that’s what we bring you today.
In this article, we’ll give you six great tips and one tool to help you keep your drinking in check.
7 Tips, Tricks, and Tools to Help You Control Your Drinking
Controlling your drinking will require planning, support, and intention. Stay on top of your plans by following these seven tips:
Plan and document your actions
Put all the reasons why you should stop or reduce your consumption of alcohol in one list. Consider the possible repercussions of continuing destructive behavior, such as alcohol poisoning, car accidents, arrest, financial difficulties, health problems, and other issues. Check your list regularly, especially when confronted with stressful or tempting situations. You can slow down rather than abstain by keeping a log of the amount you are drinking, your emotions while you do so, and the people and places you frequent when drinking. In this way, you'll be able to understand your triggers better and avoid drinking "mindlessly."
Changing your surroundings
People, places, and events frequently trigger binge drinking. To control your drinking, you may need to avoid certain pubs, parties, or other activities that you know will involve excessive drinking. It may be necessary to avoid spending time with specific people or groups who enjoy drinking alcohol. Your best bet is to avoid these potential triggers indefinitely. Avoid drinking games such as "beer pong," "quarters," or any of the others which are popular on social media if you decide to go to a club or party. You may not realize how much you are consuming when playing games. Drink no more than one drink per hour and alternate with non-alcoholic beverages.
Rely on family and friends for assistance
Your aim to drink less is supported by those who believe in you. It is ideal if the people in your support system don’t drink much or no alcohol. As "accountability friends," they can help you stay on track with your goal of quitting binge drinking. Be sure you have someone you can contact anytime for help if you are experiencing cravings, triggers, or despair in your support system. Bring a trustworthy support person and non-alcoholic beverages to an event where alcohol will be served.
Be mindful when drinking
Developing a mindful drinking habit begins with paying attention. Even if you drink alone, you can start by noticing where and when you drink and with whom you drink. If you're around certain people, at specific times or in certain places, do you drink more than you should?
Observe how drinking makes you feel and how you used to relate to the world around you. Does drinking make things easier? Does it give you confidence in social situations? Does it relax you? By paying attention to these things, you can better understand how alcohol affects you. You can use mindful drinking apps to help you stay focused on your goal.
Consider why you drink so much
Understanding why you want to change can also be gained by paying attention. Is drinking having an impact on your family and relationships? How is it affecting your work? How about your health? You can discover why you want to change by noticing what is happening around you; this can do much more than help you avoid a hangover.
Is it to alleviate stress, worry, boredom, or other negative emotions in social situations? A therapist can help you sort through your emotions and establish healthy coping mechanisms. Adopt a healthier lifestyle. Participate in interesting sports or hobbies, eat healthfully, and avoid alcohol. Activities like yoga, inspirational reading, mindfulness, and positive self-talk have boosted your mood and self-esteem and improved long-term sobriety. If you believe you are suffering from moderate or severe alcohol consumption, speak to your doctor about drugs that can help you manage withdrawal symptoms, cravings, and treatment options.
Track your drinks with an app
Alcohol tracking apps, such as Sunnyside’s binge drinking app, allow you to log and track your daily, weekly, and monthly alcohol consumption. Think of it as a calorie or step counter for the beer, wine, spirits, and cocktails you consume. Understanding your alcohol consumption increases your chances of being a healthy drinker.
Alcohol tracking apps can help you reduce your alcohol consumption. Additionally, knowing what you drink and how often you drink can significantly impact your health.
Reduce your alcohol consumption and order smaller portions
It is best to stay away from hard alcohol. One way to limit alcohol consumption is to switch to less concentrated drinks, such as beer or wine, instead of vodka. You should also limit your purchases. Buy only the number of alcoholic beverages that meets your safe alcohol limit on the day you intend to drink it.
If necessary, purchase individual cans, single servings, or half-size bottles of wine. Low-alcohol or alcohol-free options may also be available. If you know, you will want more drinks but not more alcohol, buy the same amount of alcohol-free or low-alcohol wine or beer.
Final Thoughts
It’s important to get your drinking under control before your drinking controls you. If you’ve seen someone out of control, you know it’s not a pretty sight. Even if it doesn’t seem too bad to you, binge drinking will eventually lead to health issues, which you are better off avoiding.
So, plan, find people that support your goals, and track your drinking to help you cut back. The first step has to come from you, but nothing says you have to do it alone.
No comments yet