Top Tricks For Tackling The Tippling

Been thinking a lot about drinking, lately. Not least because of a recent episode of over-indulgence and the inevitable after effects. Some readers may recall the earlier articles I wrote about beating the booze. Here I set out an experiment in techniques for cutting down on my alcohol intake. The experiment was successful, the techniques worked, and I have armed myself with an arsenal of weapons in the war against the demon drink. I have yet to fire the first round however. It's all a question of timing (perhaps procrastination).

Not that I am a drunk or alcoholic, you understand, just that I drink more than is consistent with good health. Indeed, when I have mentioned to certain friends that I think I drink too much, and I tell them how much, they laugh. It seems that some of my friends drink much more than I do, and it doesn't seem to worry them. That's their business of course.

Anyways, here is the consolidated list that I have come up with, all tried and tested. They all result from my own experimentation. They mostly rely on a technique that involves tricking my own mind into doing something it doesn't want to do, or not doing something it does. There is probably a psychobabble word for this approach but who cares about that? Here is my list of tips and tricks which I have set out here for my own benefit. Not intended as advice to others but, if you think you may find any of them useful, please go ahead and do let me know how you get on.

Top tricks for tackling the tippling

Think before you drink.

Set achievable goals. Encouragement and sustainable progress, not denial.

Start a session with a soft drink, so that you can look forward to a beer later.

Tell yourself you don't go to a pub or bar to drink alcohol, you go there to socialise.

Have a pint of beer side by side with a pint of water, alternating between the two.

Swap at least one beer with a low/no alcohol beer.

Drink only good quality wines and enjoy the full experience for longer. Take in the colour, bouquet, taste, texture, and sound the glass. Make each glass of wine a celebration of the winemaker’s art.

Drink spirits from a smaller glass and savour all the subtleties of the spirit. Linger longer over the aromas.

Budget a maximum number of units of alcohol per day, on a seven day cycle, rolling over unused units to the next day.

Make some days no-alcohol days.

Build in a reward for ending the week under budget.

No punishment and no regrets for not achieving targets. Just move on and start again with a clean slate. No self-reproach or judgment.

These last two mean that each new week starts at zero, with a new budget, looking forward, not back.

Think of the benefits of not drinking, rather than the perils of drinking, alcohol.

Don’t make excuses for not drinking. If anyone asks why you are not ordering a beer just say ‘I don’t want one.’ If they ask: 'Why are you drinking lime and soda?' I will say 'because I like it,' both of which statements would be true.

These are techniques I have used with some moderate success at various different times in the past. I can't say whether they would work for others who may be trying to cut down drinking, or anything else they feel may sometimes (or always) over indulge in. I have written down primarily to reinforce my own motivation to reduce my alcohol intake but would be delighted if anyone else finds them helpful. Do let me know if you do, and how you get on.

By publishing my intentions, I further reinforce the motivation to proceed, while building in a level of accountability. Psychobabblers suggest that accountability, making clear your plans to another person or persons, can help to boost motivation. This is not always (if ever) true. Consider the comment oft-heard by a person trying to give up smoking (before the days of the clinically-supported vape-alternative addiction)...

You're giving up smoking? Yeah, right! Here's a cigarette, take it, you KNOW you want to, don't you? Go on, take it!

No doubt such comments are intended to be funny.

Although I have yet to set a specific budget for my coming booze consumption reduction programme, just thinking about it has already had a positive effect. Over the past three days I have consumed around 6 units of alcohol, with one (rare) no-alco day. If I continue at this rate, I will end the week (on Saturday) having drunk a total of 14 units which is, coincidentally, the recommended maximum in the UK. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention has the same recommendation but advises that this should be halved for over-65s. Ha! Not being American, I can of course happily disregard such age discrimination.

Happy (no-alco) drinking folks!