Tips for cutting down

Watch Lauren Booker as she takes you through our six top tips for staying on top of your drinking.

Think about how alcohol makes you feel and what you’re looking forward to most by cutting back – whether that’s improved sleep, feeling fitter, having less anxiety, saving money, improving your relationships. It can be helpful to write these reasons down and put them somewhere you can easily access them to stay motivated.

Drinking habits are often reinforced over time through repetition. So when it comes to changing drinking behaviour start with understanding your triggers.  Ask yourself: ‘Where do I tend to drink more?’ ‘Who am I with when I drink more?’ ‘What time of day, or day of the week is it?’ ‘What about my emotions?’  

Once you know your triggers, create a personal plan to help you manage those triggers. Keep experimenting and learning, to refine that plan. Treat slip ups with curiosity, not self-blame. Ask yourself instead - ‘What could I do differently next time?’ That way, if the same situation comes up again, you’ll be better prepared. 

Think about the drinks you have because you actually want and enjoy them, and those you just drink because they’re there or out of habit. The latter are the best drinks to cut out – and you’ll be amazed at the difference this makes.

It can be helpful to decide what you want to drink in advance and commit to sticking to your plan.

The free Try Dry^® app is your number one tool for keeping track of your drinking.

It also helps you set goals. To keep things achievable, it can be helpful to set short-term goals initially, hit those, feel good about yourself, and then set a new goal. Be ready to change what you are aiming for over time. Longer-term, you could aim to become a weekly moderator, alcohol-free, or an occasional drinker. You don’t need to decide now. Just take your first step, experiment, and eventually you will find out what works for you.

It’s so easy to be tempted by multi-buy purchases. We might think, at the time, ‘It’ll save me money’ but we know that most times, we’ll just end up consuming more! 

There are now hundreds of alcohol-free drinks on the market too. Swapping something out is much more effective than just cutting it out. If you are going to someone’s home, ask if they will provide some alcohol-free drinks, or consider taking your own.  Check out our no-alcohol and low-alcohol reviews to help you get started.

Swapping pints of beer for halves, large glasses of wine for small glasses and double measures of spirits for single measures. Make every second drink a glass of water. And choose a lower ABV % of your preferred drink type to reduce the number of overall units.

Having something to eat before you drink and, if possible, while drinking will also slow down the alcohol being absorbed into your bloodstream and help you pace yourself.

Telling someone about your decision to cut down on alcohol and why can be incredibly powerful. Having someone supportive to celebrate your successes and help you deal with any setbacks, can make a big difference, and keep you accountable and committed to staying on track.  

Stay within the recommended low-risk drinking guidelines

Stay within the recommended low-risk drinking guidelines by not drinking more than 14 units a week; that means about six pints of normal strength beer or a bottle and a half of wine per week. Learn more about the low risk drinking guidelines.

Have a few alcohol-free days each week

Having a few alcohol-free days each week is a good way to cut down and give your body a rest, boost your immune system and improve your mental health and wellbeing, and save money.

Track your alcohol use

Recording what you drink for a few weeks will help you understand your drinking pattern, so you can decide if you want to make a change.

Use Alcohol Change UK’s free Try Dry® app to track your alcohol use, plus see your units, calories and money saved when you cut down.

You can also earn badges for days off, for reducing your units and for taking part in one of our challenges, such as the Dry January® challenge, and our Try Dry® Anytime Cut Back Challenge and Try Dry® Anytime 31 days.

Follow the Alcohol Change UK WhatsApp Channel

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Ask for help

Ask for help if you feel your drinking is getting out of control. There’s nothing to be ashamed of; lots of people struggle with alcohol at some point in their lives and need support to turn things around. Talk to your GP or contact your local alcohol service.