Thinking About A Change? – Tips to Try

Have you been hardcore partying through the night? Or drinking till you are dead drunk? These ways of drinking are extremely damaging to the body. Consider unwinding on a rooftop bar on a weekend night, enjoy the slow breeze and stunning skyview along with some soothing music in the background. Rethink the way you handle alcohol for a more effective and happier life.

The following article post originally appeared on https://www.rethinkingdrinking.niaaa.nih.gov. 

Small changes can make a big difference in reducing your chances of having alcohol-related problems. Whatever strategies you choose, give them a fair trial. If one approach doesn’t work, try something else. But if you haven’t made progress in cutting down after 2 to 3 months, consider quitting drinking altogether, seeking professional help, or both.

Here are some strategies to try, and you can add your own at the end. Check off perhaps two or three to try in the next week or two.

• Keep track. Keep track of how much you drink. Find a way that works for you: Carry a drinking tracker card in your wallet, make check marks on a kitchen calendar, or enter notes in a mobile phone notepad or personal digital assistant. Making note of each drink before you drink it may help you slow down when needed.

• Count and measure. Know the standard drink sizes so you can count your drinks accurately. Measure drinks at home. Away from home, it can be hard to keep track, especially with mixed drinks, and at times, you may be getting more alcohol than you think. With wine, you may need to ask the host or server not to “top off” a partially filled glass.

• Set goals. Decide how many days a week you want to drink and how many drinks you’ll have on those days. It’s a good idea to have some days when you don’t drink. People who always stay within the low-risk limits when they drink have the lowest rates of alcohol-related problems.

• Pace and space. When you do drink, pace yourself. Sip slowly. Have no more than one standard drink with alcohol per hour. Have “drink spacers”—make every other drink a non-alcoholic one, such as water, soda, or juice.
  
• Include food. Don’t drink on an empty stomach. Eat some food so the alcohol will be absorbed into your system more slowly.

• Find alternatives. If drinking has occupied a lot of your time, then fill free time by developing new, healthy activities, hobbies, and relationships, or renewing ones you’ve missed. If you have counted on alcohol to be more comfortable in social situations, manage moods, or cope with problems, then seek other, healthy ways to deal with those areas of your life.

Read the full version of the article here.