Let’s face it, everyone tends to drink more during the summer. Whether you’re at a garden party, a BBQ, a festival or it’s a particularly hot day, it’s all too easy to pour yourself a drink (or three).
In fact, numerous studies have shown that 24% of all adults across the UK drink over the recommended levels on a regular basis.
If you do tend to drink more during the summer, then you might want to keep track of just how much you’re drinking.
In fact, drinking when it’s hot outside can cause a whole host of risks, including sun stroke, dehydration, dizziness, changes to your heart rate and blood pressure and of course, a worse hangover.
Below is a list of tips and tricks on how you might be able to reduce your drinking this summer.
Avoiding drinking alcohol alone
Studies have shown that it’s far too easy to drink too much when you’re drinking alone.
When you’re drinking alone, it’s hard to keep track of how much you’re consuming and no one’s there to stop you when you’ve had enough, or look after you when you’re dealing with the consequences.
If you’re concerned about your drinking, contact Rehab 4 Addiction’s rehab in Berkshire.
Cut out habitual drinking
We’ve all been there, drinking from habit. It’s all too easy to open a bottle of wine on a Friday night, or bring a crate of beer to a BBQ because, well, we always have.
However, it’s good to question your habits from time to time. Do you really need to open that bottle, or would a cup of tea or a non-alcoholic drink be just as good?
A great way to cut out habitual drinking is to reduce the amount of alcohol that you keep inside the house, so that you physically have to go out and buy alcohol if you really want it.
Create new habits
If you do manage to cut out habitual drinking, then make sure you at least try to replace your habitual drinking with someone else.
For example, you could try to replace your Friday night drink with going on a walk with a friend, taking a bath or making some popcorn and watching a film.
Drink water instead
Do you know that we’re supposed to drink a minimum of at least 2 litres of water every day? Despite this, the general population are classified as dehydrated.
So, instead of drinking alcohol why not swap your wine bottle for a water bottle and try to drink more water.
This is particularly necessary during the Summer months, when the weather is warmer and our bodies require more water to function.
Do you ever find yourself feeling more tired, lethargic or lacklustre during the Summer months? If so, the chances are that you are not drinking enough water.
Try mocktails or non-alcoholic beers
Not every drink has to be an alcoholic one. In fact, mocktails and non-alcoholic beers can taste just as good, if not better than alcoholic drinks. They’re often healthier for you, with less sugar and they are obviously alcohol free, too.
This way, you’ll still be able to drink at social events, but won’t be ruining it by becoming dehydrated, getting drunk or waking up with a hangover the next day.
Some people opt for mocktails and non-alcoholic beers during the Summer months to simply give themselves a break from drinking alcohol for a few months – they might even find themselves losing weight in time for their summer holiday!
Some people might get embarrassed by telling people that they aren’t drinking alcohol, which is why mocktails and non-alcoholic beers are a great option, because you don’t even have to reveal that they do not contain any alcohol!
You don’t have to buy your non-alcoholic beers or mocktails out, either. There are now a wide range of non-alcoholic beers available to buy across most shops in the UK.
You can also easily make yourself a mocktail with some simple ingredients, and they usually only take a few minutes to make!
Not to mention, non-alcoholic drinks are significantly cheaper than alcoholic drinks, whether buying them at a bar or at a local corner shop.
Keep a note of how much you are drinking
Keeping either a physical or mental note of how much you are drinking will help you throughout the Summer months. Often, especially when you are at a social event, it’s incredibly easy to lose track of just how much alcohol you are drinking.
You can try to do this mentally, although we appreciate that usually it’s incredibly hard to do. So, why not keep a track of how much alcohol you are drinking on your phone?
In fact, the MyDrinkAware App is a fantastic tool for keeping track of how much alcohol you have consumed. The app helps you to track your units and even calories consumed by alcohol.
It can help you to simply drink less, or cut out your drinking altogether. You can also take a quick test on the app to assess what your risk level is currently.
Try to avoid having a drink with every meal
Some people tend to have a drink with every meal and others have a drink with their evening meal. Everyone’s different and there’s no real right or wrong unless you’re doing your body harm or breaking the law by drink driving.
However, during the Summer months you should try to avoid having a drink with your evening meals, as drinking this close to bedtime isn’t always great for your health or your sleep.
In fact, according to DrinkAware and numerous studies, drinking too much close to bedtime can make you feel sluggish, more tired and can even disrupt your sleep cycle.
Again, instead of having an alcohol drink during your evening meal, try to swap it out for a non-alcoholic beer or a mocktail.
Make it a competition
It is always far easier to reduce your drinking when your spouse and friend is also doing so too.
Things are always easier when they’re done together, so talk to your friends or family members about reducing your drinking as a group and as a team.
By doing so, you will find it a lot easier to cut down, as you know you are in it together. You could even try to make it a bit of a game to see who can stick at it for the longest, or who can cut out drinking altogether!
Making it a competition always makes it fun and will motivate you far more than doing it alone.
Decide what your motivations are for wanting to reduce your drinking
Knowing what your reasons and motivations are for doing anything makes it a lot easier to stick to. Once you know why you want to stop drinking, you will be able to create goals.
You might want to simply cut down your drinking just for a month or two, because you desperately want to save money.
Alternatively, you might want to stop drinking altogether to see if you have what it takes. Some other individuals might want to reduce their drinking due to their calorie intake, as they attempt to lose some weight.
It is always easier to stick to something once you have written it down. So, once you know what your motivation is to reduce your drinking over the Summer months you should try to write it down somewhere you are going to see it every day.
For example, you could write a note on your fridge saying something like ‘I want to save X amount, and reducing my drinking by X amount is going to help me achieve that.’
Whilst it might sound a little cringy, studies have shown that writing down a goal increases your chances of achieving it significantly.
Ways that drinking excessive alcohol can ruin your Summer
There are a number of ways drinking excessive amounts of alcohol can ruin or hinder your plans and fun during the Summer months. Everyone spends their entire year looking forward to the Summer, and in the UK particularly we don’t get a particularly long one.
So, it is important to make the most of it as much as you can, which is hard to do when you’re too drunk or hungover. Below is a list of ways drinking excessively can ruin your fun this Summer or even put your health at risk and life in danger.
Difficulty in the water
Unfortunately, during the Summer months people can get into great difficulty in the water.
Add in the fact that most people tend to drink more during the Summer months, individuals can put themselves in great danger by getting into the water whilst drinking alcohol.
We’ve all been there, it’s 28 degrees and we need to cool off in the water. However, the chances are that if you’re near a beach, you might have had an alcoholic drink at some point. So, just be careful that you haven’t drank too much to safely cool off in the water.
Needless to say, driving a boat, going on a paddle board, surfboard or kayak whilst intoxicated from alcohol is extremely dangerous. It is important to remember that by doing so, you’re not only putting yourself at risk but others, too.
Dehydration
Dehydration is another huge risk factor when it comes to drinking alcohol over the Summer months. Drinking alcohol makes you more dehydrated anyway, because alcohol is a diuretic.
This means that it removes fluid from your blood making you less hydrated. This is also what causes the awful hangovers you get when you drink too much alcohol.
When it’s sunny, you’re even more at risk of becoming dehydrated. This is why it is incredibly important to monitor just how much alcohol you are consuming over the Summer months. If you are drinking in the sun, try to alternate your alcohol drinks with glasses of water.
Sun damage
Finally, drinking alcohol in the sun puts you more at risk of getting sunburnt and damaging your skin. When you drink, you lose track of time and become less self aware.
This is why lots of people who drink excessive amounts of alcohol in the sun often find themselves getting burnt without even realising it. So, try to wear sun cream if you know that you’re going to be drinking in the sun over an extended period of time and are at risk of getting sunburnt.
Benefits of cutting down alcohol consumption
There are a whole host of benefits associated with cutting down your drinking this Summer. Whilst drinking alcohol in the sun is sometimes great fun, often the benefits of simply cutting down your consumption outweigh the benefits of drinking excessively.
- No more hangovers
- You remember everything
- Healthier skin
- More energy
- Better, deeper conversations
- You will be able to save money
- You reduce the risk of chronic illness
- You put yourself in less danger
Alcohol addiction and treatment
If you think that you or someone you know is addicted to alcohol or is binge drinking on a regular basis, then you should try to seek treatment.
Treatment for an addiction to alcohol often consists of inpatient or outpatient rehab treatment as well as a range of therapy techniques including cognitive behavioural therapy and motivational interviewing.
To benefits from these sort of therapies, consider contact an alcohol rehab such as Rehab Recovery, which can help you succeed with issues such as alcoholism and other forms of addiction.
If you or someone you know would benefit from attending drug and alcohol rehab, then talk to our confidential and professional team today for help and support.