Dryuary Prep Tip #1: Holiday Harm Reduction Without Setting Limits!

Because a harm-free holiday season sets us up for a successful Dryuary!

As we venture out this holiday season, we are probably a little bit excited and a little bit apprehensive. The holiday season is a time for celebration and connection, hence the excitement. More times than not, that celebration and connection include alcohol, too much alcohol, hence the apprehension.

How can we take the apprehension out of the season?

We can quit setting drink limits and using that as our lonely, only plan when it comes to avoiding the downfalls of too much merriment and wassail. Instead, by using the 4 tips below, we can practice mindful drinking and, by doing that, we might just find that the amount we drink ends up being less than previous holiday seasons.

Tip #1 Set Expectations:

Before the event, take some time to think about your expectations for this event. If this is the first social event you’ve attended while trying to mindfully drink, you can expect it to feel a little foreign and awkward. How will you deal with these feelings if you can’t grab a couple of shots of social lubrication from the bar?

When you start to feel uncomfortable, focus on the positive new feelings that might be hiding under that discomfort. These foreign feelings might include the feeling of being in control and the feeling of being able to relax instead of having to be “on’ throughout the event. This provides a great opportunity to practice your listening and observing skills and have memorable conversations with others who aren’t over-drinking.

If you wait out those feelings of discomfort and pay attention to what is going on around you, you will eventually find yourself relieved that you are not at the level of intoxication that others seem to be.

Tip #2 Make a Full-Fledged Plan:

As mentioned before, setting a drink limit and employing that as your only plan, does not set you up for success. A full-fledged mindful drinking plan is a better defence against over-drinking and includes the following:

• Arrange a ride to and from the event: Even if you plan to drink well under legal limits or even abstain from drinking, make arrangements for someone else to do the driving . We are unpredictable creatures and we tend to change our mind once we add social interaction and alcohol to our chemistry. Get into the habit of arranging a sober driver any time you plan to drink. If we all make this a practice, the roads will be a safer place for everyone.  This is worth the price of an Uber.
  
  
• Time of arrival: Plan to arrive an hour late. By this time, the period of overall social awkwardness has passed. Other attendees have already had a drink or two and the conversations are flowing. No one will be pushing drinks on you the minute you walk through the door, they’re more worried about their next drink than whether you’re drinking or what you’re drinking.
  
  
• Time of first drink: If we take the time to notice, most of us will find that we drink that first drink quickly. Once again, we’re trying to get past that first period of social awkwardness and get to the point we feel comfortable.  A fast first drink is not a good set-up for mindful drinking for the rest of the evening. Once that racehorse has jumped the gate, it’s hard to convince it to slow its stride.  It’s better to start slow and controlled if you want to stay slow and controlled. Start out with an NA (non-alcoholic beverage) as your first drink. You might surprise yourself and find that you almost forget it’s an NA drink.
  
  If you do feel you need something to calm your social anxiety, one measured standard drink, mindfully sipped over one hour before the event can set you up for success for the evening. In the comfort of your own surroundings, you will be less likely to gulp that drink down. Make it last an hour. Give time for the alcohol to actually relax you. Then, take that Uber to the party, make that first drink at the party an NA drink and maintain that control. It is crucial, though, to keep that pre-event drink to one standard drink and make it last an hour. The objective is to relax, not get buzzed.
  
  
• Limit the time: 2 hours at a party is enough time to stay in the polite zone and it’s the perfect amount of time to avoid weakening of resolve. When we know there is an exit strategy, it takes the pressure off to drink more to avoid feelings of discomfort. We can tolerate slight discomfort if we know the end is in sight. Arrange a pre-set time for your ride to pick you up.
  

Tip #3 Pack Your Tools

Mindful drinking tools make what seems impossible, possible. You don’t need to pack a whole toolbox with you, the following few tools from the MM Kickstart Program will do the job.

• BACTrac Breathalyzer: A small keyring breathalyzer is literally a lifesaver if it keeps you from getting behind the wheel when you shouldn’t. It can also be very effective for keeping us mindful of our BAC and how the different levels affect us. .055 BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) is when we lose our ability to make rational decisions so while many states legal limits are higher, .055 is the level that will keep you in control and successful. The cost of a breathalyzer is a fraction of what a DUI or broken relationship will cost you.
  
  
• Power of One: Arrive 1 hour late. Drink 1 standard drink per hour.  Stick to drinks that have controlled ABV (Alcohol by volume), like beer and wine, unless you’re the one measuring and mixing drinks. Bartenders and well-meaning friends may think they are doing you a favor by making cocktails heavier on the booze.
  
  
• No-No Tool: Refrain from telling yourself, “No.” You can have that next drink, if you’re staying mindful. Too many times when we set limits and, then reach that limit, and tell ourselves “No!” our Inner Rebel rears their head and that’s when that flimsy limit plan goes up in a flame of alcohol and unfortified intentions. Don’t tell yourself, “No” but stay mindful.
  
  
• Power Pause: After every 2 standard drinks that you made last an hour each, take a 20 to 30 minute alcohol-free period. Leave that drink on the table. Go mingle without it in your hand and if anyone offers to buy or get you a drink, point to your drink on the table and say, “I already have one but thanks.” Go outside and get some fresh air. Again, you’re not telling yourself “No” or “No More Drinks.” You’re just telling yourself to wait and stay in control. How does that feel?
  
  Breathalyzer instructions instruct you to wait 20 minutes after drinking alcohol before testing your BAC. This is a perfect opportunity to see what your BAC level is. If it’s under .055 maintain what you’ve been doing. If it’s above, take another 20 minutes of break and test again.
  

Tip #4 The End Game

While you’re planning, don’t forget to plan how you will reward yourself once you get home. Often, this period of time leaves us vulnerable to over-drinking because we’ve cleared the hurdle of the big event and now our guard is down. Instead of pouring an alcoholic drink as a reward, have a non-caffeinated, soothing bedtime drink and yummy snack ready to go.  Make it special. Use this time to unwind and review your evening. There is no better reward.

If you do decide to have one alcoholic drink when you get home, that’s ok, too. One MM member shared that knowing he could have that last drink at home, prevented him from continuing the pub crawl with his friends, which would have led to even more drinking.

Make the drink a special drink but keep it a standard drink.  Again, make it last an hour. Sleep quality is greatly affected by alcohol, and you don’t want to wake up sleep deprived and cranky after you worked so hard to stay mindful the evening before.

Tip #5: Have a Wonderful Harm-Free Holiday!

If you have some favorite Mindful Drinking Tips, please leave them in the comments below.