The Ultimate Guide to Cutting Down

One of the things we most often get asked about is ‘how can I moderate my drinking?’ So we thought we’d compile this guide to cutting down and to a more moderate life.

What kind of drinker are you?

People drink alcohol for many different reasons, and in the same way, people decide to moderate for a multitude of reasons too.

If you’ve decided to try and moderate, then maybe there is something about your current relationship with alcohol that you want to change. However, there’s no point promising to yourself you’ll only drink one glass of wine every six months, if you’re not going to get to the root of the ‘why’ of your drinking and decision to moderate.

Take a few moments to think about what kind of drinker you are:

Do you drink only on the weekends but way too much?

Are you a social drinker but the social occasions are piling up a bit?

Do you drink out of habit? Are you so used to picking up a glass of wine at the end of a long day you’re not quite sure how to stop?

Are you using alcohol to manage your emotions?

You could have other reasons, or a combination of the above, but often we drink for not one single reason but for many. If you’re using alcohol as a prop however, attempts at moderation won’t succeed until the underlying issues are addressed.

Taking some time off booze entirely, is often a good place to start to moderate. Claire from Club Soda says, “I decided to quit drinking for an undetermined amount of time. That ended up being a year and a half. I didn’t know if I would drink again, but when I did it was with caution. Even though it wasn’t the smoothest of rides, I do now believe full heartedly, that it taught me some fundamental lessons that changed my life: that I could socialise and be interesting and funny and charming without being three sheets to the wind, and that this was the best form of self-care and self-love. And that you can totally dominate a dance floor when drinking tap water”.

During a timeout, you can work out your relationship with booze before easing back into moderation. This isn’t essential but it’s something to think about if you’re worried about your drinking and want to press reset before trying to develop new habits.

Read the rest of the article here: joinclubsoda.co.uk/node/2699

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Thanks for this. I'm not someone who can moderate their drinking. I tried for 20 years to control something that for me can't be controlled. Alcohol always won. today I accept I cannot drink alcohol safely. Never could never will. Good luck to all those trying to cut down or moderate. But life is also great if you choose to stop for good.