How to drink less

Ever gone out for a quiet one and ended up stumbling home at 4am with work in 5 hours? It’s not the ideal situation, but more common than you think. Alcohol messes with your mind and after the 2nd drink you kinda just start losing count. Luckily, we’re here to help you keep track of your drinks.

Tips on how to drink less alcohol:

• Know your limits – Ever woken up in the morning thinking ‘HOW did I get that drunk?’ The answer is simple: you drank too much. Decide exactly how much you’re going to drink before the night begins and tell someone to hold you accountable.
• Don’t mix drinks – We know, we know, it can be boring to stick to your signature drink. Instead vary which mixer you use. Try switching between vodka cranberry and vodka lime and soda, for example. This way you don’t feel the effects of 5 different alcohols.
• Measure how much alcohol you’re putting in – if you’re drinking at home the ratio of mixer to spirit will probably lean more towards alcohol the more you drink. Try using a shot glass (or something the same size) to keep it consistent.
• Eat before hand – This one’s a classic. Choose high-protein and high-fat foods, like cheese and nuts to keep your blood alcohol content low.
• Drink water or soft drinks – in between alcoholic ones.
• Pace yourself – drink slowly, try not to finish more than one drink an hour.
• Don’t drink everyday – have days in between when you don’t drink. Especially avoid alcohol the day after a huge night.

You can also keep track of your alcohol consumption with this app for your phone.

How to drink less in social situations:

If you’re drinking at a social event… 

The situation: You’ve been invited to your mate’s for pres or someone’s having a house party. Everyone around you is chugging their drinks and there’s peer pressure everywhere – so how do you resist?

How to abstain: Come prepared with a bottle of fizzy drink or juice to drink instead, and don’t feel like you have to tell anyone there’s no alcohol in it. Or if you only want to drink a little, share a bottle of wine or pack of beers with some friends, rather than drinking it all yourself.

Avoid drinking games, they’re lethal. Or slyly drink coke and sit back while everyone else exposes themselves playing Never Have I Ever.

Don’t, whatever you do, drink that suspicious looking alcoholic beverage unless you want to get completely smashed.

If you’re going out clubbing 

The situation: Your mates want a big night out; you don’t fancy getting sloshed but know they’ll be annoyed if you don’t show up. How do you stay sober without offending your friends or making it a big deal?

How to abstain: Keep your dancing energy up with sugary drinks or snacks like bananas and nuts. This is the trick that 25-year-old Ellie uses: “If I’m going clubbing, I get a sugar boost from an energy drink, so I can keep up with the party animals,” she says. Mocktails and soft drinks, like lemonade, orange juice, and ice tea, will also work. You can even add a wedge of lime and ice cubes to make your drink look like it contains alcohol.

Take time over your drinks so that you can skip rounds. If that fails, you can accidentally knock over the drink your friend ‘kindly’ buys for you or ‘lose’ it by putting it down somewhere on your way to the loo.

If you’re at the work ‘do’ 

The situation: Your office has won an award, you need to win over a new client, someone is leaving. Safe to say it’s either been one hell of a week, or your boss just wants to feel popular. Regardless, free bars or someone else picking up the tab can make it even harder to refuse alcohol, or you may feel pressured to join in on rounds.

How to abstain: When you attend events where complimentary drinks are on offer, there will usually have an alcohol free alternative, like orange juice. Choose that – at least once.

If you’re out having work drinks in a more informal or intimate group, try telling the truth. Let your colleagues know that you just don’t feel like drinking alcohol and firmly say “No” if they pile on the pressure for you to join them in a round of tequila slammers. It will probably be hard the first dozen times (or maybe a couple of dozen), but after a while you will find it becomes easier to refuse drinks.

If you’re on a pub crawl 

The situation: It’s the weekend and you and your mates are going out. You want to join in on the fun but you know the main emphasis will be on downing drinks and getting hammered. How can you avoid the rounds without looking like a cheapskate out to ruin their night?

How to abstain: Be sneaky. If telling the truth means your mates will still be buying you booze and expecting you to keep up with them, tell a little white lie. Say you’re driving, ill and on antibiotics. You can even have some fun with it; say that you really can’t drink because you got trashed on Monday night and found yourself swinging from a lamppost naked. Embellish details as you see fit to make sure the story is convincing. The beauty of this method is that you can also head before the night gets particularly ugly.

If you’re meeting up one-to-one 

The situation: You want to hang out with your best mate, date or even a family member but you don’t want a boozy night.

How to abstain: If you’re not very good at saying no to a pint, why not find some alternative things to do for a night off? Instead of going to the pub, consider going out for dinner, for coffee or to the cinema.

“I take breaks from drinking because when I drink I tend to binge drink,” says Ben, 19. “It is also a lifestyle decision – generally the less I drink the more productive I am. I’m probably more inclined to meet friends for a coffee if I’m not drinking. I may go along for two soft drinks with someone who’s drinking, but I’ll rarely stick around for the silly stuff.”

Breaking out of the routine of regular boozing like this can be a great way to learn how to drink less in social situations. Find other ways to let off steam like swimming, running, dancing or even having sex, all of which can make you feel happier and healthier without involving alcohol.

If you are impacted by addiction and need support:

• We Are With You helps people recover from drug and alcohol addictions.
• NACOA has a helpline providing information, advice and support for children of alcohol dependent parents and those concerned with their welfare.
• Drinkaware offers advice and information on alcohol and your drinking habits.
• Rehab4Addiction offers free information and advice.