Dr C’s check-up: “You can break the cycle of stress-drinking”

Experts say harmful drinking has increased as we use alcohol to deal with added negative emotions during the pandemic. Dr C says simple changes can help us regain control

Sales of alcohol have soared, which is no surprise. People are stressed, restless, and bored, and alcohol is ingrained in society as something to turn to in times of grief, anxiety, happiness – every emotion. People may think they’re just drinking a bit more because it’s a stressful time and it’s only for a few months, but we don’t know how many people will have formed a habit of increased drinking that may be very difficult to stop.

FOCUS ON SLEEP

People are using alcohol as an emotional crutch. We can’t ignore the fact it does provide some in-the-moment relief – but long term, it won’t help. One major impact it has is on your sleep. Alcohol severely lessens your deep, recovery sleep. As some people may be drinking nearly every night now, they won’t be rested, and that tiredness will compound anxieties and worries and the ability to deal with them.

BE HONEST

It’s easy to overdo it when drinking at home, as nobody is watching. Plus some people aren’t having to get up as early, so the night is extended. There’s also the fact that, if you think everyone’s doing it, you feel less bad about it – but if drinking every night has become a habit, you need to be honest with yourself. Logging what you drink either on an app [like DrinkCoach] or in a diary is really helpful, as it will make you aware of just how much you consume, and then you can consciously decide how much to cut back by. Be honest and log every drink for a week.

SET UP LIMITS

One of the main problems we all face now is a lack of boundaries, so introduce a few for yourself. Decide no drinking before 7pm, and no drinks after 10pm, for example. The difference between four glasses of wine or three may not seem a lot, but over a year it will be a major difference in terms of money, calories, sleep and health – for just one less drink. You can also try to only drink every other day – that cuts drinking in half, and feels doable. Measure drinks, rather than free pouring, and slow down. Space them out, have water as well, and drink with food. Be aware of what makes you drink, so you can make changes. If you’re working from home, for example, it’s easy to establish a routine where you close the laptop and open a bottle, so mark the end of your working day differently – by calling someone or going for a walk, for example. Use delayed gratification, so if you usually start at 7pm, decide you can’t until 8pm and find something else to occupy your time.

ASK WHY YOU DRINK

Don’t just assume you’re consuming the same as everyone else, and explore the reasons for your drinking. Research has found that women are more likely to drink to relieve stress than men, and that oestrogen (the female sex hormone) makes alcohol more pleasurable. Perhaps you aren’t coping with the situation and those glasses of wine are creeping up. You need to deal with the underlying problem that’s triggering your drinking – maybe ask for support from friends, from your boss, or you may need to talk to a professional, but you have to make that first step. If you’re drinking because you’re bored, find other ways to relax or entertain yourself, like reading, listening to podcasts, or cooking – use other strategies to scratch that itch. Lots of people have taken up hobbies again, but if you haven’t, try. Spend time doing something creative and productive. Be honest with people and get some support – otherwise if you have a circle of drinking friends it will be almost impossible to cut down. Tell someone you trust that it’s important to you to try to cut back and ask them to back you up. If you live alone, get friends or family to encourage you, as that’s particularly key.

THINK OF THE PROS

We tend to focus on the negative impacts of drinking, but try focusing also on the positives of drinking less – better sleep,

clearer skin, and eating less rubbish. That’s an incentive. People drink to feel more confident or relaxed, but if you can’t feel that way without alcohol, it becomes a problem. It’s true, after a terrible day, a couple of drinks can help you feel better, but a couple more and we can start to embarrass ourselves, feel a bit unwell and wake up feeling awful.

Don’t just assume that, if you’re drinking more now, you won’t carry on when life goes back to normal. You might be surprised how normal it will have become, and ingrained habits are really hard to break. To resist the urge, put those little boundaries in place now.