The benefits of drinking less: A guide to mindful drinking and wellness
Depending on your current relationship with alcohol, there are lots of potential benefits to drinking less alcohol such as improved sleep, a clear head, better health and wellbeing. Before we dive into the benefits, let's explore how mindfulness can help.
Do any of these drinking scenarios sound familiar?
You need to unwind after a stressful day so you pop open a bottle of wine.
You go out for dinner and order wine with your meal
It’s Friday so you go out for drinks
You’re watching football or a Tv programme before bed with a drink in your hand
You are offered a drink at a party, so you have one.
Drinking is so much a part of our culture that we rarely stop and think about it and ask ourselves whether we actually want to drink. If you're aiming to drink less, this is how mindfulness can help.
What is mindfulness?
Mindfulness is the skill of paying attention to the present moment on purpose and non-judgmentally as described by Jon Kabat-Zinn. When we are mindful we are stepping out of auto-pilot to notice our own experiences such as thoughts and feelings, sensations and behaviours as well as what we can see, hear, feel, smell and taste in the world around us. To do this non-judgmentally (the hard bit!), we need to be genuinely curious about what we experience and make room for all experiences to be just the way they are without trying to change them. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) combines mindfulness with strategies to help us to distance ourselves from unhelpful thoughts, make room for emotions and behave in line with our values.
What is mindful drinking?
It’s all about changing your relationship with alcohol. Breaking the habit of having a drink without even thinking about it, like in the examples above, sometimes referred to as ‘mindless’ drinking. With a mix of mindfulness and ACT strategies we have a recipe for changing drinking habits.
This can be achieved by paying attention to the moment to moment experience of drinking, your thoughts, feelings and urges before, during and after drinking. This way, you can make thoughtful decisions about when, where or how to have a drink or whether to drink at all!
Who is mindful drinking for?
Perhaps you are ‘sober curious' and you want to drink less or embrace some elements of a booze free lifestyle but are not committed to ditching alcohol for good. Maybe you’re looking to take a break from drinking and are curious about the benefits. Perhaps you have drunk too much in the past and are trying to avoid reverting back to old habits. Mindful drinking is for anyone who wants to make changes to their drinking habits. It enables you to meet your own goals around drinking whether that’s to drink less, or abstain.
Note: if you think you might be dependent on alcohol and are aiming to cut back on how much you drink, it’s best to cut back gradually with the help of a professional as it can be dangerous to cut out alcohol too quickly. Click here to find your local drug and alcohol support service.
Benefits of drinking less with mindful practices
You can be more present: by being clear headed and focusing your attention on the sensations of what you are doing, you will be less caught up in worries about the future or regrets about the past so you can feel fulfilled in the present.
Drinking less is likely to result in better sleep and feeling more rested in the morning. Sometimes people make the mistake of believing that alcohol helps them to sleep. Whilst alcohol can make people feel sleepy, it disrupts the quality of sleep resulting in people feeling groggy the next day.
People often have more energy when they drink less. This new found energy can help you to engage in meaningful activities that align with your values.
Better physical and mental health: Alcohol affects every organ in the body. Alcohol is a depressant meaning it slows the central nervous system down, and can lead to feelings of depression and anxiety.
You can learn to regulate your emotions better so that you don’t inadvertently rely on alcohol to cope with stress and other difficult feelings. Drinking alcohol in response to feelings is usually only a temporary solution which comes with a host of long term and unwanted consequences.
How to incorporate mindful drinking into your daily life.
Connect with the five senses when you have your first drink: slow down the act of having a drink and be curious about the taste and smell as if it’s your first time drinking. Take your time and notice the sensations of drinking.
Pause between drinks: and notice how you feel and decide when and if to have another. Pausing helps you identify triggers for drinking and ride out cravings until they pass (and they will!).
Stop and delay the decision to drink,
Notice any thoughts that show up, notice your feelings, and any sensations in your body. Then gently move a part of your body e.g. push your finger and thumb together, shrug your shoulders or push your heels into the ground.
Now re-engage with what you are doing, what can you see, hear, feel, smell and taste and what do you want to focus your attention on right now?
Identify your values so that drinking can be a deliberate choice. To connect with your values, ask yourself:
What and who is important to me?
How do I want to be in the world?
and how does alcohol fit in with that?
E.g. if you value relationships/connection with others alcohol might seem like an obvious choice because it’s what you associate with a night out but notice the quality of the connections you are making. When you are not drinking you might find you’re more present, more engaged and more…well, connected!
Consider alcohol to be one option of many, if alcohol is associated with a good time. What else could you do mindfully to have a good time?
Written by Dr Fiona Dowman (Clinical Psychologist)
This blog post is not a replacement for individualised professional advice. If you need help in a crisis click here.
If you need support with drinking less, I can help. I provide therapy for people who want to change their relationship with alcohol or drugs. Contact me (Dr Fiona Dowman) or Book a free intro call now.
