Wherever you are in life, it is easy to be tempted to drink too much alcohol. You may only drink on weekends at first, then it becomes daily – and suddenly your drinking may not be as controlled as you thought. Follow these tips to prevent casual drinking from getting more serious.
Know your limits
Binge drinking is drinking so much that the blood alcohol level rises to 0.8 per mille. This equates to 4 drinks in 2 hours for women and 6 drinks in 2 hours for men. But if you drink a lot of glasses in a slightly longer period of time, 0.8 per mille can also be reached because the alcohol starts to pile up in the body. Exceeding these weekly limits can cause a person to become an alcoholic. Minimize your drinking to stay in the low-risk zone.
Stick to a plan
If your glass of wine often turns three or four during dinner, this could be the initial stage of addiction. Restrain yourself by setting limits on the number of drinks you have each night according to the guidelines above and stick to them.
Do not build tolerance
If you have become accustomed to the effects of alcohol, that means you need to consume more to get the same results. While you may feel sober, your blood alcohol level can reach dangerously high levels. This precursor to alcoholism can encourage poor decision-making, such as drunk driving.
Go to friends for comfort
Drowning your worries over a beer after a breakup or bad day causes more harm than good. Studies show that exposure to strong alcohol releases toxins in your brain, triggering bouts of depression. The next time you're feeling down, plan a fun evening with your friends or family to cheer yourself up.
Create a routine
By planning activities and events, you can avoid having a glass of wine out of boredom. Make plans to take a walk or go to the movies in the evening to avoid the bar scene, or sign up for a Saturday morning workout to encourage you to go to bed early the night before.
Find a reason to change
The above tips don't mean anything unless you know why you want to control your drinking. Write down a list of the benefits of cutting back, whether it's saving money or improving your health. The next time you find yourself feeling the urge to order another beer, think about the reason you decided to say no in the first place.
