Christmas time can come with its own challenges for those who are wanting to moderate their drinking or maintain sobriety with so many opportunities around them for consuming alcohol.
The key is moderation and staying safe.
With the heightened emotions or family tensions that this time can bring, excess alcohol can turn into many regrets the next day.
Some tips on maintaining moderation
● Know your limits and plan a safe journey home from events where consuming alcohol
● Stay hydrated – alternate alcoholic beverages with water
● Use smaller glasses
● Eat before drinking alcohol – we all know what can happen when excess drinking occurs on an empty stomach
● Track drinks using an app – especially when needing to stay under the limit
● Experiment with non-alcoholic beverages – a lot of new developments have been made in this realm in recent years
● Reflect on the coming new year & what you would like your ideal relationship with alcohol to look like
Managing conversations with others in social settings while trying to maintain sobriety can be challenging.
Think ahead and pre-plan how you might respond to others’ questions around why you are not drinking. Have some pre-scripted light-hearted responses such as – “I’m setting myself up for the best start to the new year” or “I’m trying not to drink because I’ve regretted past Christmas events where I’ve drank too much” – whereby the other party is unlikely to continue their line of questioning.
Drink non-alcoholic beverages – most would not notice that you are doing so.
Plan Christmas events around family and friends and enjoyable activities, as opposed to alcohol-friendly events. A day at the beach or by the river with kayaks and outdoors activities can be one way to get around it.
At the end of the day, this is a time to enjoy friends and family and create beautiful memories, so keep this in mind whether focusing on moderation or on sobriety.
If you need help managing your alcohol intake around Christmas or in general, reach out to us at Prosper Health Collective