Learning to moderate your drinking is an important practice if you tend to overindulge in alcohol. It’s still possible to enjoy the taste and effects of alcohol without going overboard each time. If you struggle with setting limits, practice mindfulness when drinking. Take notice of changes in your body, and keep track of how many drinks you consume. Avoid stress triggers or social triggers that typically result in you drinking more than you intend to. And finally, know your limits with alcohol and know when and how to say no. There are many resources available if you need additional support with learning to control or give up drinking.
How to Moderate Your Drinking: Staying in Control
Practice Mindfulness
One way to moderate your drinking is to practice mindfulness. Much like the practice of intuitive eating connects us back to our body’s natural hunger and fullness signals, doing the same with alcohol can be very helpful. Check-in with your body frequently and take note of sensations you are experiencing. If you begin to feel tipsy, switch to water. And don’t forget to eat food and drink water while you indulge.
Keep Track
It’s also helpful to keep track of the number of drinks you’re consuming as well as how quickly you’re drinking them if you’re wanting to moderate your drinking. There are several apps that you can use to track your drinks throughout the night. You can also purchase a personal breathalyzer to track your blood alcohol content. This can help you pinpoint your ideal drinking pace and amount of drinks.
Avoid Triggers
It’s also important to avoid emotional and social triggers when trying to moderate your drinking. Don’t drink to “feel better” about stressful situations because you’ll be more likely to go overboard. Similarly, if being around heavy drinkers causes you to lose control, don’t let yourself be put in that situation. Recognize patterns in your behavior that tend to lead to overindulgence and take note of ways to avoid them.
Know Your Limit and Stick to It
Finally, the most important thing to remember to moderate your drinking is to know your limits. It’s important to know how much is going to put you over the line. In addition, practice saying no when you reach your alcohol limit for the night. Peer pressure can be difficult to resist, so have alternatives available like a mocktail or alcohol-free beverage in your hand.
Learning to moderate your drinking can help you avoid the unpleasant after-effects of a night of going overboard on alcohol. Practice mindfulness so that you can tell when your body is reaching its natural limit on alcohol. In addition, keep track of the number of drinks and time frame to help you stay in control. Avoid triggering situations or people so that you can keep a clear head and establish boundaries for drinking. And finally, know how to say no when you reach your limit. If you need support, bring along a friend to help you keep on track. And if you decide that you’d like to stop drinking altogether, check out local resources and peer support groups. Hopefully, you can learn to control or quit drinking altogether for your physical health and mental well-being.