How to control your drinking habits at Christmas - and not let them control you

Life can be better and richer if you feel in complete control of your drinking habits, rather than controlled by them. Photo / 123rf

For years, I used to drink every day – not huge amounts, but regularly. I would always be the first to suggest a trip to the pub for work drinks and the last to leave.

But once I took a total alcohol break in 2018, I found I no longer needed it, and that’s still the case. Life can be better and richer if you feel in complete control of your drinking habits, rather than controlled by them.

So if you’ve recently given up alcohol or you’re taking a break from it, I guarantee you’ll enjoy the festive period more knowing it’s not dominated by booze. Here’s how to plan for a sober Christmas.

Track the festive period

At the start of the party season, use a paper calendar pinned up somewhere visible to set yourself a goal. Noting each day without a drink will give you a sense of achievement, and writing down upcoming social events means you can make sure you’re prepared.

Some find keeping a sober diary helpful, as you can make a note of how you feel and when you’re struggling, preparing better for those occasions. Or, better still, use the Try Dry app, which helps you understand your drinking habits, wellbeing and cravings, and includes a built-in diary function.

Some find keeping a sober diary helpful, as you can make a note of how you feel and when you’re struggling. Photo / 123rf

Share your sobriety plans

Whether it’s your partner, family or a friend, let the people in your life know you’re doing a dry Christmas and tell them why so they can keep an eye on you and be supportive, especially when you’re socialising.

Make it clear you’re doing it for your health and you’ll find that most people who care about you will be with you all the way, especially now that “going dry” is increasingly becoming normalised – in fact, one in five adults in the UK now doesn’t drink alcohol. If you’re met with sober-shaming, just avoid those people for a while.

Don’t hide – get out and about

We tend to associate having a drink with relaxation, good times and socialising – all things that can be had without alcohol once we learn how to do it. Instead of crying off those big events, go out as much as normal so that you get used to socialising without drinking and can break the false association with alcohol.

Find out which alcohol-free drinks you enjoy so you’re never tempted to default to your usual tipple. Nowadays, there are some really good-quality zero-alcohol beers available, and a mixer combined with any flavour that has a kick is just as delicious as a gin and tonic. And remember, drinks with less than 0.5 per cent alcohol are fine for “going sober” – a similar amount as in ripe fruit and some breads.

There are really good-quality zero-alcohol beers available. Photo / 123rf

Know your triggers

Whether it’s a few glasses of fizz when friends and family come over or heading to the bar for the umpteenth work Christmas social, alcohol triggers – the moments you associate with having a drink – can scupper your sober plans if you’re not careful. It’s all about preparation. If you’re having a celebratory social drink, have a nice cold “nosecco” waiting for you in the fridge for when the champagne corks start popping.

Suggest to work colleagues that you all go for a meal or to an escape room rather than just drinking. Most of all, don’t forget that you can have a craving without giving into it. After two or three minutes, the craving will usually pass.

Organise distractions

Without boozy lunches and endless hangovers, you may find a break from alcohol gives you more free time to fill throughout your week. Pack it with pleasurable and enriching activities like visiting a Christmas market, ice skating and shows, as well as hobbies, classes and sport, so you don’t default to your usual drinking habits.

New activities are a good idea, but be wary of taking on a huge unfamiliar challenge that you could potentially give up on further down the line, as this might tempt you to slip back into the drinking habits too.

Plan for parties

If you’ve been using alcohol to feel comfortable at big social events since your teenage years, that doesn’t mean you can’t manage without it – you just need to try. Remember, it’s the Christmas party or festive night out that’s the special thing – not the alcohol you’re going to have there.

To give yourself a fighting chance, bring your own alcohol-free drink, have an exit strategy planned and leave early if necessary. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but you will soon find you enjoy every moment of these occasions without alcohol, remember them in more detail and relish waking up hangover-free.

To give yourself a fighting chance, bring your own alcohol-free drink. Photo / 123rf

If you fall off the wagon

With any change, there will be bumps along the way – so if you succumb to alcohol during the party season, it’s how you respond that really matters. While you may have had a drink or two, you’ve still had far less than you normally would in a month, and that’s progress.

Don’t give up after one knock - don’t beat yourself up. Just get right back on the wagon.

Assess how it’s gone

How you experience a sober Christmas will tell you a lot about your relationship with alcohol and your level of dependency. If you find it hard to go to a party without having a drink and can never stop at one glass, these are signs of mild alcohol dependency. Learning about your triggers and putting strategies in place can help you ease back on your drinking all year.

However, if the craving for a drink was too strong and being without it made you anxious and irritable, this suggests your dependency is more severe and you may need professional help to change your relationship with alcohol.