Is isolation the ideal time to explore alcohol free alternatives?

Many of us are now working from home in line with government guidelines and as a result have a little extra time on our hands as we don't have to commute to work.  We are also not meeting up with friends at the weekend to partake in the usual antics of socialising and drinking. Could this be the perfect time to explore alcohol free alternatives?

Dr Aiysha Malik, technical officer at WHO Europe’s mental health and substance abuse department, recently stated that “using substances such as alcohol to pass the time or alleviate stress during lockdown can make things worse”. She followed on to say that drinking excess alcohol during the crisis is an unhelpful coping strategy.  

The statement was released amid concerns at the level of drinking in the UK as off-trade drink sales soared and supermarket shelves became desolate waste-grounds as people stocked up on wine, beers and spirits following Boris Johnson’s closure of our pubs and bars.

Now we're a couple of weeks into 'lock-down' our initial supplies may be starting to run low and we might be thinking about stocking up.  But what if we decided to stock up on no or low versions of our usual tipple and experiment a little with a break away from our usual habits whilst having the added benefit of boosting our health?

Many of us have thought about taking a break from the booze at one time or other but have any number of social engagements planned which stop us from having a go..."I'll do it after Julie's wedding" or " I can't miss Mrs A's Birthday Bash".
But at the moment we don't have the pressure of those commitments, nor do we have the FOMO attached to such events or the worry about what our friends will say.

Now is the perfect time to take a health check and experiment, think about what we might like to drink instead, make cocktails out of juices, fruits and vegetables that might help boost our immune system and practice drinking less or making more mindful choices whilst still enjoying the flavours and the moment of relaxation. If nothing else, it will help make your alcohol reserves last longer!!

The sun has been shining for the last week or so for many of us and whist we try to be careful about how many times we actually leave the house our visits to the shops have been reduced too; I can imagine our supplies are getting lower.  Take the opportunity to have a look at Dry drinker or Wise Bartender to see what there is on offer, I'm confident you will be pleasantly surprised!

To give you a helping hand we have an e-book you can download to help with becoming more mindful about your drinking, little hints and tips that can make all the difference.  Put alcohol in it's place and get set for summer so you can be ahead of the curve.  You can also see some of the drinks we've tried and recommended on our website too.

You can find our booklet here.

Drink to Enjoy, happy experimenting!!
Claire XO