Go Easy! 5 Ways to be more mindful when drinking alcohol at home

You’re stuck at home, you’re stressed, and you’ve got a cupboard full of booze. It’s all too easy to get carried away while we’re sat at home in isolation worrying about what the future holds.

We may even feel that we ‘deserve ‘ that drink for getting through the day.  It’s tough with everything that has been going on recently, many of us Mums have some time of enforced isolation with our kids and homeschooling under our belts, as well as juggling running a business or having to work from home.
Many of us are feeling anxious about our circumstances, unsure about the future, and starting to feel the stress keeping everything ticking over and everyone safe. I totally get it! The mama bear definitely came out in me last week when the safety of my middle boy was put at risk!!!

But the World Health Organisation has labelled drinking alcohol an “unhelpful” coping strategy for dealing with the stress of isolation and social distancing – a sentiment echoed by the charity Drinkaware.

Drinkaware’s CEO, Elaine Hindal says “Drinking heavily may also contribute towards you becoming particularly vulnerable to infections such as coronavirus. That’s because alcohol can suppress a range of immune responses, and this is particularly the case for people who drink very heavily and regularly,” she says. “Your body’s natural defences against infections may be compromised by excessive alcohol use and this could make you more susceptible to viral and bacterial infections.”

So what can we do to help us be more mindful when making decisions about what and when to drink.  Here’s 5 ways we can we be a more mindful drinker?

1. Get some alcohol free alternatives in your shopping

There’s a blossoming market of alternatives out there.  From Caleno as a Gin alternative to Boucha Kombucha as a white wine alternative.  Sipling have 6 wonderful pre-made cocktails that you just pop and pour and Jumpship Brewing have a great Alcohol Free lager.  We have some drinks reviews on our website and we’re adding to them all the time. Take a look at Dry Drinker or Wise Bartender. Both offer an amazing array of alternatives.  Some of our favourites are on our website.
Now is a great time to try out what is on offer and maybe find a new favourite tipple. Choose your favourite glass, relax and enjoy

2. Set some boundaries

We’re not talking about ditching the booze forever, we’re just thinking about making mindful choices.  Many of us usually stick to drinking at the weekends, but it would be easy to let the lines blur at the moment while one day rolls into another and let drinking alcohol creep into our new weekly routine. Keep alcohol in its place and set some firm boundaries about when and how much

3. Talk about how you feel with your friends

Have they increased the amount they are drinking too, what are they doing to combat it? We’re all in the same boat and talking about it helps us realise we aren’t the only one, the feelings of uncertainty we are having at the moment are normal and very real.  Talking about why and how you can support each other with those boundaries we suggested you set earlier, could really help! We need to support each other now more than ever before, on all things, not just alcohol. It’s the perfect excuse for a catch up; set up a video call, pour yourself something non-alcoholic and show off how ‘good’ you’re being

4. Rethink Wine O’clock

I don’t just mean the drinks here; What could you be doing instead? As mentioned above there are some really amazing alternatives out there, it’s not like it used to be but could you be using other things to distract you? Could Wine O’Clock become Bath O’Clock or Run O’Clock or Meditate O’Clock instead?

5. Have fun, there is a wealth of recipes online. 

Take some time to look and plan what you could make with your kids, stick it on your shopping list and look forward to some creative moments and shared discussions about flavours.  There really is no limit to the concoctions you can make. If you keep your eyes peeled on our Facebook page we’ll be making some concoctions of our own to inspire you.

If you need any help or advice post in our Facebook group or sign up for our emails, we’ll be sending out a message once a week to help you get through these tough times.  Keep you eyes peeled here on our blog, too!
Keep well 

Big Hugs xxx 

PS.  We've launched a free workbook that cover these top tips in more detail as well as a few others.  You can sign up here
8 EASY WAYS TO DRINK MORE MINDFULLY AT HOME