For the new year, you may decide it’s time to cut back on your alcohol intake. Perhaps your drinking habits have become a problem and you feel it’s best to slow down. Or maybe you just want to focus on your health, and reducing alcohol intake is a great way to do that. Either way, reducing alcohol intake can be difficult but it’s certainly not impossible. In order to do this, you’ll want to set goals for reducing alcohol and use these tips to help you achieve them.
Reducing Alcohol Intake
Spend Less Time in Bars
One of the best ways to begin reducing alcohol intake is to reduce the time you spend in bars. After all, the atmosphere in a bar tells you to drink. So, if you’re spending a lot of time there, you’re probably spending a lot of time drinking. Therefore, you’ll want to find other places to eat and meet up with friends.
In many cases, your favorite bar or restaurant to drink can trigger you to drink. So, just changing the location to a place you’ve never ordered a drink at can help in reducing alcohol. Also, find some new places to go that don’t focus on serving alcohol, like a coffee shop or dessert bar.
Determine Not to Drink Alone
Drinking alone isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, there are some nights when a drink before bed might be relaxing. However, it often makes drinking too much, too easy. When you become comfortable drinking by yourself, you may make a habit of doing it whenever you’re alone. So, make this rule in order to help you discipline yourself to reducing alcohol. It can be a helpful way to restrict yourself without feeling like you’re under too many rules.
Find Something to Replace the Habit
Kicking a bad habit can be much easier when you have something else to replace it with. Therefore, when you’re reducing alcohol, it’s best to find something else to fill the time you would spend drinking. For instance, you may want to find another enjoyable drink, such as a specialty coffee, tea, or smoothie. Finding a new interest in a drink you enjoy can take your mind off reducing alcohol. If you can’t find another drink, you may find a new hobby instead.
In short, you may feel this new year is a good time to focus on reducing alcohol in your life. In order to do this, you’ll want to set goals for yourself and find new ways to spend your time.