Everyone who drinks alcohol is much better off when they have a healthy relationship with it. Knowing your limits, having a designated driver, staying hydrated, and not binge drinking are just some of the practices of responsible drinkers. If you find yourself struggling with setting healthy and realistic boundaries for your alcohol consumption, here are a few helpful tips that can change the way you interact with alcohol.
1. Have a Plan
One of the best suggestions Everlast Recovery has is to create a plan. Having an executable plan is highly instrumental in setting boundaries with alcohol. Make sure that not only is your plan something you can execute, but that it is also a realistic plan. Your plan needs to make sense for your life. Before heading out to a social event know how many drinks you will have. It also helps to keep note of the time. Limiting yourself to a set number of drinks within a predetermined time frame. For example, one drink every two hours. Other things to include in your consumption plan include staying hydrated, drinking mocktails, and eating food.
2. Trash Your Booze
When you’re worried that you have a very unhealthy relationship with alcohol, it may be in your best interest to throw away your booze. If having it in your home is going to derail you enforcing your boundaries, trashing the alcohol is a big help. If your collection is out of this world, you can also gift it to a friend or acquaintance. Another alternative to getting rid of the alcohol in your home is to stash it away. The old saying goes, “Out of sight. Out of mind.”
3. Recruit a Friend
You can engage a friend as an accountability partner. You’ll feel less alone in you journey to setting boundaries with alcohol. Getting someone else to commit to abstaining or decreasing their alcohol intake with you can be very helpful and inspirational. This will be a bonding experience and can even be somewhat therapeutic.
4. Choose a Different Setting
If you find that you’re primarily a social drinker, it helps to have social outings at places that do not offer alcohol. Try meeting at the gym, a coffee shop, or maybe an outdoor activity. This can decrease the likelihood of you consuming alcohol. And if you do decide to attend a gathering where you’ll be tempted, go back to your plan.
5. Be Compassionate
Don’t forget to be kind and compassionate to yourself. There may be instances where you slip up and don’t adhere to your plan or your alcohol consumption goals. If you falter, don’t worry, and don’t let it dissuade you from getting back to the plan. When you find yourself faced with a hard decision, try to make the hard decision. Don’t go to that event or pass up on meeting at the bar even though you’d really like to participate.
In the beginning, you may find it difficult to stick to your alcohol boundaries, but once you’ve created the habit and deeply rooted your self-discipline, you’ll feel much more at ease in some of the more difficult situations. You’ll be well versed in adhering to your boundaries and bask in the pride of sticking to your guns. Whether you’re setting boundaries for yourself, your relationships with those you love and value, for your health, or other personal reasons, having a healthy relationship with alcohol will make your world a much better place.
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