Drinking alcohol in moderation isn’t a bad thing, but if you find you’re consuming too much alcohol, it’s time to look at ways of cutting back.
Thankfully, there are several ways in which you can reduce your alcohol consumption without having to feel like you’re missing out.
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Drink Half the Amount of Alcohol You Used to Drink
It can be challenging to cut back on alcohol when you’re out with your friends, family, or colleagues, as you’ll probably be used to drinking the same amount of alcohol as your group is drinking.
For instance, if your friends are drinking pints of beer or double shots, it’s likely you’ll follow suit if you don’t actively think about how much you’re drinking and would like to drink.
A simple way of reducing your alcohol intake when out with others is to drink half the amount that others are drinking. Instead of a pint, order a half pint. Instead of a double, order a single. Then, make your drink last as long as it takes the others to drink their full-sized beverages.
If you drink alcohol at home, you can also use this approach. Pour half a beer, half a glass of wine, or a single shot instead of the larger quantities. Though, if you do drink regularly by yourself at home, it could be a sign that alcohol has become a problem for you.
If you feel dependent on alcohol, you could have an addiction problem, in which case, you should seek professional help in your local area. For instance, if you’re based in Indiana, you could detox and get support at Fort Wayne Recovery, Indiana’s top-notch rehab facility.
Drink Non-alcohol or Low-alcohol Beverages
If you cut down on your drinking, you can still enjoy going to bars and restaurants with people without feeling that you’re missing out. But you can also feel part of the group while not drinking if you switch to drinking non-alcoholic drinks.
That doesn’t mean you need to stick to cola and lemonade. In this modern age, people’s drinking habits are changing, so you’ll find a wide variety of non-alcoholic beers and other drinks on the market that taste just as good as the real thing.
So, you can still drink pints of beer, for instance, to feel like part of the group, but intake 0% alcohol. There are also lots of low-alcohol-count drinks available that enable you to enjoy alcohol without getting drunk.
Educate Yourself About the Damaging Effects of Alcohol
There’s nothing wrong with celebrating or unwinding with a glass of wine or beer every now and then, but regular alcohol consumption can cause damaging effects over time.
For example, long-term alcohol use can damage your nervous system, brain, and liver. Drinking heavily can also increase your cholesterol levels and blood pressure, both of which can cause strokes and heart attacks.
By educating yourself about how regular alcohol consumption can affect your health, by performing online research, you won’t want to drink as often.
Put New Things in Your Life
If you find you’re starting to drink regularly at home, or you regularly go to bars, you can cut down on your alcohol consumption by simply putting other things in your life. For instance, instead of going to a bar or sitting on the couch with a glass of wine every Friday, working out at the gym, enrolling in a yoga class, or taking up a new hobby.
By putting new and exciting things into your life that will enable you to feel good about yourself, you won’t be so dependent on alcohol to have a good time. And you won’t feel like you’re missing out.