Tips that actually helped me drink less
AdviceI wasn't trying to quit drinking completely, but I did want to stop defaulting to a drink every night, where it felt automatic. Here are a few things that helped me drink less without feeling deprived.
Delay the first drink. This was huge. I stopped pouring a glass the second I got home and gave myself 20 to 30 minutes first: shower, walk, cook, whatever. It left less time for alcohol before bed.
Track without judgment. I didn't want to count drinks in a stressful way, but casually logging made the patterns obvious and helped me form better habits.
Swap the ritual, not just the alcohol. I realized I didn't just want wine, I wanted the signal that the day was done. Replacing it with a sweet treat helped more than I expected.
Make alcohol free days the default. Instead of drinking every night, I picked a couple of no drink days ahead of time, like the opposite of a cheat day.
Watch the why, not just the amount. Most of my extra drinks came from stress or boredom, not from going out. Once I noticed that, I could actually deal with my triggers.
Brush your teeth. Nothing is as gross as thinking about a cocktail after you've brushed your teeth.
This isn't a magic fix, but it's what has made drinking less feel like an intentional choice. Curious what's worked for you?
The delay when I get home at the end of the day was a huge help.
Tip one has absolutely worked for me on nights out, where I'm more likely to lose track of what and how much I'm drinking. Delaying the first drink stopped me failing at 'I'll stop after one or two'.
I really like this. Drink free days help me the most. I noticed how much drinking messes with my sleep, so I basically stopped drinking Monday to Thursday, minus a special occasion, because I was so grouchy for work in the morning. I started a few months ago, and now that I'm in my dry winter phase it doesn't seem as hard as it did last year.
One thing that helped me was realizing that feeling bad isn't necessarily bad. If I have anxiety, it's OK to sit with it and go through it. It's OK to not be OK. You aren't going to feel good or even fine all the time, and that should be expected. It really helps those of us who use alcohol to avoid things.
Read a few quit lit books. They'll quickly convince you that alcohol is poison and explain all the horrible things it does to your body.
Do you know the names of the ones that helped you?
Genuinely curious, not bashing. I quit drinking because toward the end I was wasting my time setting conditions around drinking like this. Mostly there were good days, but every now and then I'd have more than I should have. All the thinking before drinking and the after effects took a toll that just wasn't worth it anymore.
I really like having a lovely drink to enjoy in a pretty glass. Club soda with thyme simple syrup and a lemon twist is a wonderful way to welcome the weekend.
I've just this week started to actually make changes and cut back, and this is so helpful. It confirms some things I'd thought of trying but hadn't heard from anyone with real experience and no judgement. Thank you.
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