We’re living in stressful times; we are dealing with a lot of uncertainty both present and future, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One consequence of this has been increased alcohol consumption. If you regularly drink more than the recommended limits, try these simple tips to help you cut down:
Follow These Tips For Decreasing Alcohol Consumption:
- Men should not regularly drink more than 3 to 4 units of alcohol a day.
- Women should not regularly drink more than 2 to 3 units of alcohol a day.
- If you’ve had a heavy drinking session, avoid alcohol for 48 hours.
‘Regularly’ means drinking these amounts every day or most days of the week.
Make a plan
Before you start drinking, set a limit on how much you’re going to drink.
Set a budget
Only take a fixed amount of money to spend on alcohol.
Let them know
If you let your friends and family know you’re cutting down and that it’s important to you, you could get support from them.
Take it a day at a time
Cut back a little each day. That way, every day you do is a success.
Make it a smaller one
You can still enjoy a drink but go for smaller sizes. Try bottled beer instead of pints, or a small glass of wine instead of a large one.
Have a lower-strength drink
Cut down the alcohol by swapping strong beers or wines for ones with a lower strength (ABV in %). You’ll find this information on the bottle.
Stay hydrated
Drink a glass of water before you start drinking, and don’t use alcohol to quench your thirst.
Take a break
Have the odd day each week when you don’t have an alcoholic drink.
Benefits of cutting down
The immediate effects of cutting down and decreased alcohol include:
- Feeling better in the mornings
- Being less tired during the day
- Your skin may start to look better
- You’ll start to feel fitter
- You may stop gaining weight
Long-term benefits include:
Mood
There’s a strong link between heavy drinking and depression, and hangovers often make you feel anxious and low. If you already feel anxious or sad, drinking can make this worse, so cutting down may put you in a better mood generally.
Sleep
Drinking can affect your sleep. Although it can help some people fall asleep quickly, it can disrupt your sleep patterns and stop you from sleeping deeply. Cutting down on alcohol should help you feel more rested when you wake up.
Behavior
Drinking can affect your judgment and behavior. You may behave irrationally or aggressively when you’re drunk. Memory loss can be a problem during drinking and in the long-term for regular heavy drinkers.
Heart
Long-term heavy drinking can lead to your heart becoming enlarged. This is a serious condition that can’t be completely reversed, but stopping drinking can stop it from getting worse.
Immune system
Regular drinking can affect your immune system. Heavy drinkers tend to catch more infectious diseases. The WHO has said that drinking alcohol in excess may make you more susceptible to contracting COVID-19
