Dry January – or maybe just damp? 5 ways to drink less this January
Okay, bear with us for this one, but doing Dry January doesn’t have to mean cutting out drinking.
Cutting down on booze and even just spending more time thinking about how and why you drink can be useful activities when it comes to having a healthier approach to drinking in general. In fact, more of us are choosing to moderate our drinking rather than cut it out altogether.
Dr David McLaughan is the founder of the Jitai Health platform which offers “tools, tips and tech to help enact and sustain a better relationship with alcohol.” He has helpfully compiled five top tips to help you find more balance this January.
Here are his five tips for mindful drinking.
1. Ask yourself: “Why am I drinking?”
“What need or purpose is this drink serving? Would my thirst be better quenched by a glass of water first? Am I drinking to cope with anxiety, stress or loneliness and are there healthier coping mechanisms I could try?”
2. Drink with appreciation
“Bring your attention to the sensory experience of the drink you’re consuming. Notice the smell, taste and physical sensation of your drink as your bring it to your mouth and swallow. By appreciating your drink in this way, you can enhance your enjoyment, as well as slow down the pace at which you drink.”
3. Drink with intention.
“Set your drinking intention for the week or day ahead. Give yourself clear boundaries in terms of: the number of days you plan to drink and the number of drinks you plan to have on any one day. For many people, the rule of 3s works well. Eg. No more than 3 drinking days per week, no more than 3 drinks on any one occasion.”
4. Accountability.
“Share your drinking intention with other people, when you can, or at least check in with yourself. Did you manage to drink within the boundaries you set for yourself? If not, how do you want to respond to this?”
5. Monitor you progress.
“Keeping track of your drinking frequency and volume is one of the best ways to bring a sense of awareness to your drinking. With Jitai, we offer users a drink diary to track their progress. This allows us to share other insights such as the improvements to sleep, mood and stress levels as users reduce or quit drinking.”
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