Don't drink.
The fact that everyone is doing it doesn't make it
appropriate. You really need to ask yourself why it is so important to keep up
with everyone else in the drinking stakes every time you head out to somewhere
that has alcohol available. And if it's a business event, why even indulge? At
such an occasion, keeping a clear head not muddled by alcohol will be more
likely to win you clients, mentors and deals than giving people a glimpse of
alcoholic desperation.
Eat before you drink.
If you know you're going to be somewhere that you'll be
tempted by alcohol, feed your stomach first of all. It may be tempting to skip
food to save calories for the alcohol but that is a one-way ticket to fast
drunkenness and one almighty hangover, not to mention unknown loss of control
in between. A lack of food in your system causes you to become drunk much
faster and it's also very risky, as this can lead to poor concentration,
nutritional deficits, impaired judgment and long-term serious health effects
and diseases.
Set a limit.
Check the current suggested maximum limits for daily
alcohol intake as suggested by your government's health agency or advisers and
stick to it. Keep anything more than this right off limits. In general, one
glass or standard unit/drink of alcohol is likely to be okay provided that
you're not a recovering alcoholic or you're not barred from consuming alcohol
for health or other reasons. And if you're not able to stop yourself at just
one drink, then limit setting will be hard for you and your limit should be
zero; if so, you'll need to rely on some of the other suggestions in this
article.
Another alternative is to massively dilute the alcohol with
non-alcoholic choices, such as half fizzy lemonade. You can even ask for three
quarters lemonade and a touch of beer!
Use artful deception.
If you're somewhere
where you're going to be constantly hassled about why you're not drinking,
think creatively and make it look like you're drinking even though you're not.
Ask the bar tender to pour a club soda into a lowball glass. Ask for a twist to
be dropped into it. The end result can easily pass for a gin and tonic, a vodka
tonic or other alcoholic drinks in peoples' hands. Drink away and stay sober.
Drink mindfully.
Drink for taste, not inebriation. Savor both the flavor and
the aroma of the alcohol instead of bolting it down. Indeed, splurge on an
expensive but extremely enjoyable drink because it's going to be the only drink
of the night. Perhaps one glass of an aged wine, a fine single malt whisky or
an aged beer would fit the bill. Whatever it is, appreciate its nuances slowly.
Bring
the glass to your lips every now and then and tilt it. Instead of drinking
though, simply inhale the aroma. Taste the drink as you swallow it. If it's not
worth tasting, then it's not worth drinking!
Play wine and beer
tasters’ trick.
If you have to taste
alcohol for a living, you soon realize that it's important to be the one in
control. Sip, don't
chug. Keep your glass a respectful distance from you when not drinking.
When
you drink, keep looking through the glass into the room and not up at the
ceiling. This means you drink less and savor more.
Appreciate
what you drink. This is probably the number one secret to not getting drunk to learn to appreciate what you're drinking rather than treating it as a means
to feeling temporarily good. See the previous step on drinking mindfully to
achieve this.
Make people stop
pestering you to drink.
If you're with friends who insist constantly
that you have something to drink, tell them you don't feel well, that you had
to take medication that doesn't mix with alcohol or that you have to get up
early tomorrow. Another excuse could be that you're fasting for a medical test
and that alcohol cannot form a part of your health regimen.
If you don't want to
fib, actually do sign up for an early morning something like exercise class, a
yoga session or a workout on the beach. It's an incentive for you not to drink
until you're drunk, as well as being a good excuse to give to others.
Choose a good
location to drink.
You're likely to drink a whole lot less when
you're in a place with distractions such as food, games like bowling, darts or
billiards. You're also more likely to forego drinks if the lighting is up, the
place isn't crowded and you're feeling comfortable.
Avoid temptation.
If you know you're
going to want to drink more than you should, implement some methods to remind
yourself to stop. Have
a buddy remind you when enough is enough. This might be a buddy who doesn't
drink or is good at knowing his or her own limits and stopping. Or it could be
a family member.
Distract
yourself. Get up and dance, talk to someone for a while, play a game of pool, order a
really complicated mock tail and savor it.
Hold
a non-alcoholic drink in your hand when socializing if it's the holding of the
drink that helps you feel like you're fitting in.
Allow
yourself totally different rewards, like a shopping spree, a favorite item of
food, seeing a movie, calling a friend long distance in place of the alcohol.
Look at your drinking
habits and reasons.
Are you a mindful or
a mindless consumer of alcohol? Do you drink until you're drunk because others
do, or it helps you to bond or loosen up? Do you drink because it's all that
there seems on offer? Really question what motivates you to drink until you're
drunk and what you're getting out of it. If the real answer is "not much
but I can't be bothered to change", do something about your bad habit by
taking charge and showing others how to have a good time without alcohol.
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